Bad Night
Everything was going wrong, the night I dreamt I was King Kong
Nothing at all went right at all on that night
A series of calamities and a host of catastrophes
Despite my dream-crafted power, as I flexed my muscles atop the tower
And, despite the fact I was wielding dual biplanes in defence of the building
Only for it to start falling rapidly apart
Then, with a start, I suddenly awoke and began to hack and cough and choke
And, things went from bad to worse and I gave vent to a curse
Upsetting the bedside cabinet and nearly crushing the family pet
But, then, at last, it was done – it really wasn’t a night of fun.
Fox and Cat
Cat struts monarchical
Laying claim to gardens and paths
A fox coughs at it
Sending it up a fence
To sit and preen
Affectedly unconcerned
As the fox takes charge
Of the faux-wilderness
Half-tamed by man
Nearby a dog barks
The fox looks up
Momentarily startled by the sound
Then seems to grin
Unconcerned by the dog
Knowing it has claim
No matter what fences are raised
Haunted Home
Dishes in the sink
With dried-on stains
Wallpaper peeling
Unappealing
Dark mould stains
A cold emptiness
Echoing halls
An echo of memories
Awaiting new lives
To inhabit it
Make it whole
A home again
The Kindness of Fairies
The Devil came to Dartmoor
Or, so it was said
Thirsty and in search of a drink
Entered a pub, hooded and cloaked
A traveller caught in the raging storm
Where, minutes before, there had been only sun
The barman served him, Old Nick
But, spied a cloven hoof beneath his cloak
Froze, uncertain whether to take the Devil’s coin
Could hardly refuse
A customer is a customer.
The Devil left, chuckling
Leaving a curse behind
But, when the barman looked again
The coins were gone and in their place
Old, brown and crispy leaves
Harmless, if worthless
The Devil’s deed undone
By the kindness of fairies
Perhaps also enjoying a joke
At Old Nick’s expense.
Tricksy Jack
Tricksy Jack summoned Satan
On a suitably stormy night
Sold his soul to Satan
(It fetched a good price)
After seven years, Satan
Would come a-claimin’ it
But, Satan underestimated Jack
Who’d carefully planned the deal
Having already signed it over, Jack
Produced the deed of transfer
And, Satan raged at Jack
“Who the hell is Tricksy Jill?”
DJ Tyrer is the person behind Atlantean Publishing, editor of View From Atlantis, and has been published in The Rhysling Anthology 2016, Speculations III, and issues of Enchanted Conversation, The Horrorzine, Red Planet, Scifaikuest, Sirens Call, Spectral Realms, Star*Line, and Tigershark, as well as releasing several chapbooks, such as The Tears of Lot-49. The e-chapbook One Vision is available from Tigershark Publishing’s website. SuperTrump and A Wuhan Whodunnit are available to download from the Atlantean Publishing website.
DJ Tyrer's website is at https://djtyrer.blogspot.co.uk/
DJ Tyrer's Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/DJTyrerwriter/
The Atlantean Publishing website is at https://atlanteanpublishing.wordpress.com/
The View From Atlantis website is at https://viewfromatlantis.wordpress.com/
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