A Place to Stay

Evening storms darken the sky from a damp grey

to a shadowed aubergine, flinging cool tears against my arms

as the cowardly sun shivers behind the horizon.

I've been staring off the side of this bridge since mid-morning,

mesmerized by the leaves parading past, an infinite host

of autumnal galleys sailing to war.

The stream below has fed gluttonously on the clouds,

and the water is now a turgid tangle of currents and eddies,

messily splashing upon the banks and drunkenly inviting me to join

in the undignified revelry.

An enticing proposition --

to be the Kraken who upsets the autumn fleets

sailing these waters, wreaking havoc

then sinking beneath the waves, into myth, into nothingness --

to fight against the roiling currents muddying themselves against the banks,

to sink to the bottom and rule the darkness

until my lungs burst and I sink into the mud.

My legs are dangling, urging me to to decide.

Reviews

[Ravyne Hawke]

I love this, Ben. Wonderful imagery of the Kraken and the fleet of leaves. You did an excellent job of visualizing what it would be like to be the Kraken. The last line seals it. Wonderful job!