Five Poems by D.J. Tyrer

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/