The Beastiary

Dusk is a demon with tender tentacles,
slowly he slithers behind you,
ready as ever to lovingly gag you
in his fish-scented breeze.

Night is a monster with cordial claws,
calmly he clatters behind you,
ready as ever to fondly rip you apart
in his grave-reeking gale.

Dawn is a devil with flexible fists
gently he walks up behind you
ready as ever to brazenly bruise you
in his blood-splattered blast.

Day is a goblin with amiable arms
lightly he slinks up behind you,
ready as ever to lovingly choke you
in his putrefied flurry.

And as dusk slithers back
you welcome the demon returning
knowing as ever, that time
is a villain but you still sustain.

The asp is a serpent that avoids enchantment by pressing one ear against the ground and plugging the other ear with its tail. The asp is often depicted with wings. Unusually, the man appears to be hitting the asp with a stick, and the asp is breathing fire. The man, presumably a magician or sorcerer, is wearing what was commonly called a “Jewish hat”.

A bestiary is a book of beasts and I browsed a bit on the Medieval Bestiary selecting the asp. This poem is linked to Open Link Night at dVerse and you will hear me read it if you join us at 9 PM CET. We also have a session on Saturday at 4PM CET.

February 6, 2023

14 responses to “The Beastiary”

YIKES! I think you have a new calling: writing prompts for horror short films! (Interesting all these horiffic creatures are male)
Fun time at OLN LIVE! Thanks for being there 🙂 Your presence is always reassuring.

It was wonderful to hear you read this on OLN Live. I think Lillian is right! 😂

Interesting and entertaining your dark approach to time.
Good hearing you read today.

Much❤love

Leave it to a librarian to throw the beastly book at us! I’ve always thought that bestiaries ad breviaries pair nicely. Leviathans and angels in the same dance.

A really interesting progression. You are right time really is the villain!
Well done!

I love this progression of time. 🙂

lightly, gently, calmly, slowly – I love that seeming contradiction to the demon metaphors… the seduction of evil…

In the hands of this bestiary, we are merely playthings alas.

This is absolutely stunning! I love the depiction of the dark here .. with its allure and threat .. especially this part; “Day is a goblin with amiable arms lightly he slinks up behind you, ready as ever to lovingly choke you in his putrefied flurry.” 💙💙

I somehow hear creepy background music while reading this, chilling in the most poetic, literary, way!! 👏👏‼️

Oh, wonderful imagery, Björn!

That second-last stanza sent shivers down my spine, damn! The repitition works really well here💀

You know me by now, Björn, I love poems with darkness and horror, and this fits the bill. Which reminds me, I haven’t written a poem like that in ages. Idea for a prompt, maybe? I like the oxymorons and alliteration throughout, especially ‘Dusk is a demon with tender tentacles’ and ‘ready as ever to lovingly gag you / in his fish-scented breeze’.

I liked this a lot, Bjorn. My favorite was the ending, “you welcome the demon returning knowing as ever, that time is a villain.” I think it is the ‘Demon of Procrastination’, a waste of time.
..