by Richard H. Fay
Roused from decades of sepulchral slumber
By savage cannonades and rifle fire,
Departing the dark comfort of my tomb,
I roam a mad world ripped apart by war.
Venturing forth like a smoky blue veil
Wafting across this cratered countryside,
Searching for the base essence of being,
I am drawn to fields of lingering death.
Drifting amidst battle-broken bodies,
Ignoring agonizing cries of pain,
Invisible to dimming mortal eyes,
I harvest embers of vitality.
Finding a suitably ravaged vessel,
Sensing sustenance within battered flesh,
I drain lifeblood to feed this hungry soul -
A dying youth becomes my golden cup.
Energies flow from spirit to spirit
Fuelling my ethereal existence.
Leaving behind the soldier's empty husk
I retreat into deepening shadows
Revitalized.
Originally published in The Monsters Next Door, Contest Issue 4.5, November 15, 2008. Poetry winner, “Through My Eyes” writing contest. Also published May 2009 in the anthology Scattered Verses, Moonlit Curses, October 2011 in the webzine Aphelion, February 2015 in Night to Dawn 27, December 2020 in the webzine The Chamber Magazine, August 2023 in the poetry collection Cosmic Journeys and Gothic Visions.
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