Fear of the dark

You, startled shudder, worms, and worries
from ash, from soil, you creep with greasy hair
to trade my trust in winter’s flurries

Lost to moon rage and your eyesight blurry,
from milky shadows grow your frenzied stare
of startled shudders, worms, and worries

But if you’re dying what’s the hurry
to grasp for boughs, inhaling acrid air
or put your trust in winter’s flurries.

The night is dark as you crawl out to bury
those letters signed with blood and tears
and startled shudders, worms, and worries

You sense the rodent’s claws that scurry
‘cross my naked chest and for my ears
a scream of trust in winter’s flurries

Your eyes are green; your hands are furry
please let us wake unwind your fears
from startled shudders, worms, and worries
We’ve lost my fear of winter’s flurries.

Rotten wood, covered with moss
Ivan Shishkin

Today we are having an Open Link night at dVerse, and we will be live from 3PM EST. We will also have an option on Saturday at 10 AM EST.

March 16, 2023

17 responses to “Fear of the dark”

Such an incredibly dark, crisp and potent Villanelle Bjorn! The image of ‘moon rage,’ is so apt! 💙💙

“But if you’re dying what’s the hurry”–my favorite line.

A wonderful villanelle. I love the worms and worry. This would be a great Halloween poem.

Dark and dying is in my poem today too, but yours is much more chilling. Reminds me of the old children’s rhyme: the worms crawl in, the worms crawl out, the worms play penuckle on my snout…

Wonderful imagery.

Also, as soon as I saw the title a certain song started playing. Nice to see a hunch confirmed.

I think we have all had our fear of the dark at one point or another in our lives.

Love the villanelle form Bjorn. Dark, wormy and creepy as you served it.

Well Villanelle my heart! This is amazing.

I love the inventiveness of that first line recurring rhyme. A difficult verse form but you have aced it here, Bjorn. Great atmosphere to this one.
JIM

I have not read a Villanelle in a while. Another great form using repetition to get a message across. Dark done only as you can, my friend.

But if you’re dying what’s the hurry
to grasp for boughs, inhaling acrid air
or put your trust in winter’s flurries. – potent!!!

Clever imagery. This villanelle flowed. Thanks for hosting at dVerse.

Winter’s dark is the worm inside the fretful, dour, winter-hunted -haunted Northlander. Come, bright spring!

“Worms and worry” – a clever phrase. I have no idea what you are trying to convey, and the comments didn’t help me but the agreed with my impression of dark images.