Standing on the platform
Twilight hour
Station master has gone home to bed
Lonely platform in a desolate land
Skeleton trees leer long shadows
In the fading light
A cold north wind, disturbs desiccated leaves
They scurry across the track
No souls are about
The bench is forlorn in a hollow steeple
Ticket booth proclaims
ONE WAY ONLY
There’s a ruffling of air
Across my neck
My top hat falls flat
Gallantly dressed
Glove
Scarf
Tailcoat
Cane
Shoes polished, a dark gleam
Once upright, upon retrieval of
My jumpy hat
There upon the backrest
A great grey owl
His head swivels left then right
Past and future, merging in one night
In the blink of my eye
He’s gone fast
In his stead
A bony hand extends
Headed out of town
Black diamond eyes twinkle an inqury
Hesitation shrinks my courage
Something else moves me forward
Come sit, while time lasts
Slow dirge of a shy sliver moon
Wispy clouds obscure a dark yearning
A creature of the night
Scuttles about out of sight
Low earthly mourn
The worms crawl home