The shadow of the night
by cricketjeff on November 1, 2008. © Jeff Green, All rights reserved
The empty shadow of the night
A rush of air from overhead
The icy blast of mortal fright
A scent that speaks of ancient dead
A rush of air from overhead
As off she flies to seek her prey
A scent that speaks of ancient dead
Beneath her spreads a cold decay
As off she flies to seek her prey
Her shadow sweeps away desire
Beneath her spreads a cold decay
Although she breathes infernal fire
Her shadow sweeps away desire
To see her face is near to death
Although she breathes infernal fire
Her touch is sure to freeze your breath
To see her face is near to death
She has no fear of man or beast
Her touch is sure to freeze your breath
Each night she seeks a different feast
She has no fear of man or beast
There are so few who stand her rage
Each night she seeks a different feast
She’s known the taste of every age
There are so few who stand her rage
Some eagles and the boldest men
She’s known the taste of every age
Tonight she seeks a citizen
Some eagles and the boldest men
The few who’ll face this fiercest foe
Tonight she seeks a citizen
Who wanders in the land below
The few who’ll face this fiercest foe
The noble figure of a man
Who wanders in the land below
With power to end her mortal span
The noble figure of a man
Stand firm before her mighty blast
With power to end her mortal span
She senses that her time has past
Stand firm before her mighty blast
A lance locates a missing scale
She senses that her time has past
She breathes her last ear-piercing wail
A lance locates a missing scale
The icy blast of mortal fright
She breathes her last ear-piercing wail
The empty shadow of the night
Author notes
Normally my dragons are friendly souls, one of my best friends is in fact a
dragon and he will be most upset at me writing this piece. I blame an errant
muse.
The pantoum (originally pantun) is an ancient form of poetry from the Malay
peninsular where pantoums are still written, in eight syllable tetrameter and
rhymed abba throughout the poem, each stanza has a related but developed theme.
Brought to France in the 19th Century with an a1b1a2b2 b1c1b2c2 … z1a2z2a1
scheme.
Over time the syllable counts have varied and a few poets have abandoned rhyme.
English