Lin Lane | + Follow Poet |
Rhyme | + Fav Poem | Comment | Email | Print |

A Death Never Mourned

On the outskirts of a long-abandoned country town
beyond the crumbling headstones and elmwood trees
is mounted a dark dismal figure of what used to be
a scarecrow whose limbs flail in Autumn's breeze

Hung as if crucified, his death was never mourned
The creature decayed in the midst of a barren field
Fallow lies the ground he once so boldly protected
Nigh on twenty years since wheat crops gave yield

Poor beast, with innards of grayed moss and twigs
Tenebrous, the moldy growth on his stygian face
as fog encroaches to shield me in the shadows of night
He's a monolith of death, staked in this cursed place

Darkness saturates the clouds and shrouds the moon
Comes the North wind, and a caw... caw... cawing sound
A murder of crows take flight over the wretched scene
Where once reigned a Sovreign who was never crowned

Copyright © Lin Lane | Year Posted 2024

Please Login to post a comment

Paul Willason Date: 6/29/2024 4:25:00 PM An amazing poem, put together with skill and imagination....you really know how to tell a story and make it come alive my dear Lin...with that meaning lurking just underneath. Some of the lines read like honey to the ears...eg darkness saturates etc etc. The accompanying picture compliments your words just beautifully. Login to Reply

Karen Jones Date: 6/29/2024 2:29:00 PM Very creative! I agree with Daniel this poem works on more than one level. We can be victimized by life and become like the scarecrow and lament. Or we can do some spiritual work experience growth and rise above it all simply fly away yelling a caw like the crow perhaps doing some shape shifting. The fact that one can learn from your poem about self makes it a gem! Login to Reply

Daniel Turner Date: 6/28/2024 5:06:00 PM Lin, you write dark poetry very well. So descriptive. A good one for Halloween:) I think anyone who has ever been lonely can also relate to this one. Login to Reply Lin Lane Date: 6/29/2024 1:39:00 AM Should I be worried about writing dark poetry, Danny? lol As long as I have friends like you to pull me out of those spaces, I'll be fine. This one was written a long time ago, not when I was lonely but in a dark emotional place. Thanks for reading and commenting.

Jan Allison Date: 6/28/2024 9:02:00 AM gosh your vivid descriptive poem gave me the chills and the picture is perfect, I especially love 'Poor beast, with innards of grayed moss and twigs Tenebrous, the moldy growth on his stygian face' hugs jan xx Login to Reply Jan Allison Date: 6/29/2024 1:44:00 AM I will have to see if I can find it i took it several years ago - when hubby had been going to set up a PA system outside the church for a massive funeral so the mourners could hear the service outside. hugs jan xx Lin Lane Date: 6/29/2024 1:37:00 AM Jan, I'd love to see that photo. Perhaps you'll use it as incentive to write a poem and post both? Jan Allison Date: 6/28/2024 10:12:00 AM I took a fab photo of 2 crows sitting on a grave stone, it gave me the chills Lin Lin Lane Date: 6/28/2024 9:27:00 AM It wasn't even Autumn when I wrote this one. I have a distaste for crows and sometimes when I hear one cawing, I shiver. They're always good inspiration for writing dark poetry. Thanks for the morning visits.