Friday 22 September 2017

Reapers Wall

Written to: Fireblossom Friday writing challenge "The Distorted Lens"
follow this link for more details Imaginary Gardens

Reapers Wall

Today started crispy cold, but nice, as
weather warnings came on the car speakers.
The grit truck missed a patch of black ice and
slowly my world turned topsy turvey. You
stole my ride with your phosphorescent eyes
in the bright velvet darkness of night, and
I saw my life dance to the ice maidens
tune waved along with her slim finger tips.

A scribe in a white coat spoke in strange tongues,
as a quill wrote in transparent black ink
filling an empty scroll full of weird scribbles.
And all the while the Tappers kept tapping
tappity tap, tappity tap, all night
long under a meridian green moon.
I looked through your hot phosphorescent eyes
when something cold burned against my chest.

Stone by stone up went a charred wall to the
monotonous rhythm of, beep, beep, beep.
At the topping out ball the Tappers skipped
to the frantic swish of the reapers scythe.
But from golden fields with ears of rye corn
came a warm whisper, hang in there my love.
Through snow winters blue and red summer nights
I fought with an electrical maelstrom.

The reaper was grim and seemed to weaken
as the scribes apprentice knocked down the wall.
And there was the green moon on a white screen
as my lightning bolt swords flashed up his scythe.
And soldiers clad in green gathered around
and cheered me on in victorious song.
Now golden fields smelled fresh and soft as silk
as they brushed across my tormented face.

Julian Clarke © Sept' 2017 

Linked to Imaginary Gardens
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28 comments:

  1. What a tale! Your ending is marvelous.

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  2. A strange "dream" in the ER (I assume). What a ride but I hope the ending means it turned out well.

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    1. Hi Debi, thank you for your comments, much appreciated and yes it was one hell of a ride.

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  3. Oh my... I've had one of those rides. It is an odd moment when clarity makes a brief visit and you realize it is you riding that bed of flashing lights.

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  4. Nothing worse than being there on the edge and face the reaper.... very very vivid drive.

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  5. Now golden fields smelt fresh and soft as silk
    as they brushed across my tormented face.

    Great word-craft Julian, in fact all through the whole poem!

    Hank

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  6. 'Now golden fields smelt fresh and soft as silk as they brushed across my tormented face'.... such a powerful close!!

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  7. At the very edge.. and back .. nicely described Julian. Drive safe.

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  8. "Phosphorescent eyes" this is the first of this kind and to me it's enchanting. I'm enthralled by this piece of yours. Lovely write.

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  9. Powerful write Julian - imagination unharnessed still weaves it way to somewhere meaningful.

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  10. You describe this so vividly, I can imagine the experience. So well done.

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  11. Articulate imagery of being in an ER after an accident! Glad it was a positive ending

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  12. A near death experience so well scribed! Riveting. So glad it ends well!

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  13. What an experience! I can visualize this one.

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  14. Very intriguing and mysterious, kind of nightmarish too. Luv these lines:

    "A scribe in a white coat spoke in strange tongues,
    as a quill wrote in transparent black ink
    filling an empty scroll full of weird scribbles. "

    Thanks for dropping by my Sunday Standard today

    much love...

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  15. My goodness I hate having this rides in cars where you see your life flash before your eyes....you described it brilliantly!

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  16. Wonderfully described; thank God for the happy ending.

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  17. A very visual 'brush' with the reaper. An intriguing - and mesmerizing - piece.

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  18. This gave me chills or should I say flashbacks. I have been in the back of an ambulance it all seemed so surreal.

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  19. Very interesting read, had to go to the end.
    ZQ

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  20. Sounds like a fantastic dream or a scene from Science fiction. I was intrigued by "You stole my ride with your phosphorescent eyes."

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  21. welldone. objects in this mirror are closer than they appear

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Comments are very much appreciated and I shall endeavour to reply, however, this may not always be possible due to time restraints.