That Night's Tale
With the moon above, shining bright
And darkness lurking calmly(and quite
Failing to ensnare the light),
Now at this hour in the depth of night,
I move on a living, breathing plain;
(Some stray melody fills the brain)
The eyes look up at the sky
(A myriad of stars shines on high
Only at me)and the Gods are kind
As I trace my track, leaving the rest behind..
Strewn about this ground seem, bunches of grass
(A little pond's covered with moss);
The wind bellows, trees swish around;
A patter of feet--no other sound:
A heavy breathing feels my own-
(or is it?)I hear a groan:
A dark patch gleams in the velvet glow
(Some thing's moved, I'm sure to know!),
Something swiftly just dashes past me,
While my keen eyes struggle to see.
(Before this thing should try to harm,
I must ready and gather arms)
With a stone in hand and a sturdy stick,
If I hit in time, I'd do the trick!
For a moment all motion's ceased-
The beating of the heart's increased;
The air about's filled with a scent
(My senses awake to this stench)-
Two fixed-eyes shine to stare:
Standing firm, I return the glare
(Though courage seems to fail, I still make no move)
But with nothing much to prove,
I start to back a little slow.
With the beast growling low,
I'd thought of standing up to fight
But now I think that I might
Better as well change my way
To be safe, so to say.
Thus taking a few paces back,
I turn around and change my track.
Unclear and perplexed in mind-
The silhouette having left behind-
Lost from path and unsure,
I come up to a door
(Is this the place I have to go-
Whether or not, I do not know).
Stopping, I knock, and wait to tell
(As a friendly face greets me well),
''On the shore of a wood, away from din
This cottage stands, and if I be taken in:
At a late hour tonight, I ventured on a path left behind;
All this while the Gods were kind,
For I escaped when death was nigh....''
(Before I end, there's heard a cry)-
Even so, before another word-
Nearby, a gun's shot is heard
Followed by a hapless moan,
An anxious fall at the ferny floor
(I look-out to make sure):
And a wounded man with a gun
Walking-in from a battle won,
Stands, while still in pain,
''As few paces remain
To be traversed to reach
This house'', begins he in his speech,
''A shadow of this beast confronting me, pounces and gets me down''
(His face changes to a frown)
''Whilst we struggle in a fight
I try to reach with all might
My gun on the ground that lay still,
Take a shot and make my kill..!''
Copyright © Akash Yadav | Year Posted 2011
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