ALL HALLOWS’ EVE
Soulful sky in dying light; a cold moon shivering
beneath the infinite yawn of the Milky Way
Dance of first stars across the canopy of velvet
drawing down the ghosts of All Hallows’ Eve
Chimney-stacks loom down like Cimmerian spectres
casting their spell over fields deep in slumber
Cloud cover dissipates, revealing a tear in the canopy
Midnight heralds the parting of the veil between the worlds
I am temporary custodian of the key to mysteries beyond me….
but only for a star’s breath, beneath a shivering moon
Each bend in this lane as familiar as lines on my palms
My goose-down jacket warming as I watch my breath vaporise
.
A dim lantern creaks as it swings from a barn door
caught by the icy grip of a sudden gusting wind
Margaret Royall 