When the snout of lush abundance is full and flowing,
when all prey and creature-kind spill upon the verdant swards,
then it is that I worry night and day,
for the stoat, fox and hawk are at work,
they scythe in the whelm and nimiety, they hack and harrow.
The kits and chuckling’s are many, the light too bright;
for then the foragers forgoing fright, are palpable and open.
The long-eared nibblers, hairs on scattered rodents laid bare,
they scutter, skitter and twitch much in the open
greatly prone to be pounced upon;
their paltry pelts all unhidden, and being many,
and not running, they are huddled; yet not strong.
If this slew not ease, if the grabbers not falter,
if the singled-out dither, the glut not wither,
then the green snake will climb to where nestlings hutch -
they all so easily plucked and quickly snatched.
I worry for the wee brown birds; mottled shells still unhatched.
I fear a winnowing, withal a harsh hazard of gorge and sate.
I fret for the freshly delivered, the teeming,
the newly produced, all the bounding bounty
for those too easily found and so, arrived too late.
Confident will, covet the other
the only desire hastens in feather
scutter with wings to reach and cuddle
hence the flower blazing in sun
fud its feeling in well and run
impaired it stays for days an days
to find one reason to blaze
and bring back what once was phaze
Skulking between the thinning clumps
Of tattered sedge
A balding coot despondently calls,
Scratching Blackbirds scutter deeply
Into a Hawthorn hedge;
Whilst, creeping stealthily,
Gathering darkness onwardly crawls.
The blackened Moorhen washes the clinging
Soot from his feathered form,
Rising above the mirrored pond in awkward
flight.
Gathering clouds mumble softly of an
Impending storm,
When, silently menacing, inwards marches
The approaching night.
Listening intently, between murmurs upon
A breeze,
I check my step and briefly pause -
To catch a low sigh whispered from among
The sullen trees...
A last desperate plead of their lost cause.
For now billowing cumulonimbus sags
And begs to stall,
As, slowly homeward bound, I gather
About me to hastily make;
Where, circling high in rushing element,
The ragged Buzzard begins to fall...
Upon Heavens gathered Furies -
That so conspire to thunderously break!
black trees reach into the moonless night
creaking in October' s chilly wind
brown leaves scutter along the walk
scraping as they go
the devil doers are about tonight
only the foolish venture far
in the windows candles gleam
with safety and warmth inside
a black cat screeches a mournfull wail
sending shivers down my spine
yellow eyes and hissing fang
follow me as I pass
through an iron gate I flee
mindless of where I go
from the lifting mist I find
a graveyard of living dead
strange creatures circle about me
garmets floating on the air
features carved in evil grin
glowing hollow pumkin heads
suddenly I sit up with a start
relieved it was only a dream
quickly back under the covers
remembering it's Halloween