Nightmare sticks
By Ivor Griffiths
Nightmare sticks

on a tawny white light
in flight along a barbed wire fence
lit by half yellow moon,
a killer screeching overhead
an anxious dark shadow waiting,
her eyes flickering scared
ears numb
isolated terror upright
on leaves frosted crisp
her breath billows
hangs in frozen fog
shoulders hunch
collar up
fists bunched in leather pockets
shuffling and shivering, terrified
kicking invisible stones. Waiting
in the dark.
It clatters and rattles from miles away,
a drone of terror nearing,
stopped metal shrinks and creaks like ice
a pause then steel toes
tap a dance on gravel,
the cold still air is pungent and green.
Dread and terror rising
as she shrinks inside her fear
shadows silhouette the halogen light
a gate shrieks open as if in pain
rattling shudders to a stop.
Darkness razors floating through her
swirling haze of breaths
He points through mind fog
that sticks clutches and tangles
sapping strength bullets like feelings
splinter trees under water
grip the barbed wire fence and run
gorse mud heavy and stumbling;
scrambling free to run,
run and run and run.
She clutches knees and gasps for air
while her owl,
killing for fun,
screeches.
     
 
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