Life – Page 74 – Iron Haiku

packed commuter train
a stranger’s breath on my neck
making my skin crawl
–
rising darkness-
the files close
and I’m alone

hot rising embers
intermingle with the stars
as they float away
–
cracking fire-
oak and maple
turning to ash

in the dead of night
the monster under my bed
turns out to be me
–
skeletal branches-
the window framing
unfounded fears

I wear this body
as shroud around my soul
woven from my life
–
lemon blossoms-
rain darkens
a terra cotta pot

I wake to nothing
but the impression of you
left in my mattress
–
cold sweat-
twisted in
my bedsheets

I close my eyes and
before sleep overtakes me
I pray for those I’ve killed
–
fireworks-
earplugs in
a darkened room

dark menacing skies
downed trees and power lines-
the storm overhead
–
brooding clouds-
wolves bay
in the distance

blind and deaf old men
sit in darkened boardrooms and
beat the drums of war
–
black water-
death waiting
on the far bank

glowing yellow eyes-
pure malevolence lurking
within the shadows
–
soft underbelly-
the sudden turn
of claws and teeth

on the village green
the hollow toll of church bells
ringing out the dead
–
frozen earth-
grave diggers toil
into the night