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