Blue smoky mist meanders crook of mountain hollow
overlays a crystal rill, edges darkened pines, which swallow
up a falling sky, poking it to rain the stars, as if to glitter
half-cloaked moon, full of anguished gold and bitter
light to splay on waterfall, an eerie shine of liquid bow,
where on its rocky banks the wolfbane flower grows,
but not too close to rampion weed, which reeks its garlic wry
into that dark and empty air where no longer falcons fly.
For there, a creature lurks the hills and preys, no one refused,
lures them with angel songs—first entranced, then confused—
now numbs them with his fangs to mute their vocal screams,
and drinks their blood with savor, drop by drop, it seems.
Then sleeps it off in rank abodes coffined from the sun
before its rays can shrivel it—to dust in crippling dawn.
overlays a crystal rill, edges darkened pines, which swallow
up a falling sky, poking it to rain the stars, as if to glitter
half-cloaked moon, full of anguished gold and bitter
light to splay on waterfall, an eerie shine of liquid bow,
where on its rocky banks the wolfbane flower grows,
but not too close to rampion weed, which reeks its garlic wry
into that dark and empty air where no longer falcons fly.
For there, a creature lurks the hills and preys, no one refused,
lures them with angel songs—first entranced, then confused—
now numbs them with his fangs to mute their vocal screams,
and drinks their blood with savor, drop by drop, it seems.
Then sleeps it off in rank abodes coffined from the sun
before its rays can shrivel it—to dust in crippling dawn.
| Little Red Riding Hood Beware by John C. Mannone |
Nightshade
by John C. Mannone
Sheets pulled tight across horizon
I lie on mattress of sod squinting
the brushed brass knob of sun
pinioned on the bed, rumpled
terrain blanketed white
Stratus sky streaked electric-yellow
pink blush between the blue, fading
to platinum gray and the trees
dank and dark green transform
to rock, even black, in the dream
I wish the night’s shade
would only last ‘til morning
But I awaken to the nightmares choking
night air, a brown, noxious shade
The chain was pulled
on a giant bulb; it blew and in a flash
the whole of it was gone
leaving just a filament of ash
…and a whoosh
of gamma rays
six thousand light years away,
in silence, glide its nightshade
to my bedroom.
Nightshade (an earlier revision) was previously
published in the 2007 Conference Proceedings for
Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers.
by John C. Mannone
Sheets pulled tight across horizon
I lie on mattress of sod squinting
the brushed brass knob of sun
pinioned on the bed, rumpled
terrain blanketed white
Stratus sky streaked electric-yellow
pink blush between the blue, fading
to platinum gray and the trees
dank and dark green transform
to rock, even black, in the dream
I wish the night’s shade
would only last ‘til morning
But I awaken to the nightmares choking
night air, a brown, noxious shade
The chain was pulled
on a giant bulb; it blew and in a flash
the whole of it was gone
leaving just a filament of ash
…and a whoosh
of gamma rays
six thousand light years away,
in silence, glide its nightshade
to my bedroom.
Nightshade (an earlier revision) was previously
published in the 2007 Conference Proceedings for
Society of Amateur Radio Astronomers.
| Raven - Black Dreams (contest winning entry) by John C. Mannone |
| All these photos are from NASA |
