Subterfuge

A walk out in chill of night, winter grip and silence

What genius evening keeps secret… moribund

 

His foot falls to echo the chill of November deep

Tapping, clapping, wrapping

His man heavy fragility in wool

 

How distant and suddenly wide is the night.

 

What shrewd skills fear casts, a mask,

That evening keeps him wary, attentive as wax,

 

Shadows shed no comfort for this lamb,

His rhythm once lord of the dance

Pulsing toes as eyes flash to every creak and whisper

 

Depth of sightlessness made paranoid by twisted twilight

Shapes, shifting with the nerves frozen with haste…

 

His weakness, not knowing, a pallid winter on his face

Even now the slow climb upon his back

Carried by the slip of a breeze laying waste,

The soundtrack of dead leaves and black

 

His foot falls stomping to clash and map

A stroll as reality saves nothing sincere, when fear

Deepens to his bones resolve and panic...

 

What genius a weapon: flights of fancy

And the conditioning of youth to preconceive

 

The hollow of city sidewalks, midnight’s screaming chill

The mouth of alleys he passes ready to swallow him still

 

Strange and delicate the space between his ears

Defeated before finding a sure foot

Before reaching a well lit street

Familiar and familial suburbs of a mind

Diminished by the subterfuge of fear…

 

His foot falls turn a corner

And the sound of concrete and conflict

Disappear…

Reviews

[kublakhan27]

I like the idea of a night being 'distant and wide,' especially a Winter night...all kinds of awesome imagery and observations in this one...I liked the 'lord of the dance' and 'twisted twilight' lines as well, but every line and image is killer...you have a unique way of looking at things...great work PF.

[Mark Anthony Games (Hum..]

Diminished by the subterfuge of fear… highly apt indeed. You have incredible artistry in your pen grip!

[Adam Whitworth]

well done

[Frieda P]

Old man winter has never had such a descriptive overcoat before this write. Simply reading you get a chill in your bones. Fear grips and a friend returns in safety. It's a deep read, most enjoyable.

[Butch Decatoria]

thank you so much