Thursday, October 18, 2012

Night Screaming

Night Screaming
Click image to view significantly larger



Last night we had quite an extended misadventure.  This is true story and not a dream.  It ocurred after the opera.


Night Screaming

Last night into the wee hours
we wandered, lost,
in the rain
without umbrellas or coats
walking the streets of Detroit
until our feet bled.

It was a waking
nightmare
and went on and on
and on
as we grew more and more
tired and sore.

From the high roof-tops,
birds screamed and screamed.
They chittered, hollered
and shrieked
into the rainy night.

Such fearsome cries!
So loud!

With rain
streaming down our faces
like tears,
we looked up and up
into the rain
toward the distress calls

until we realized
they were electronic,
probably to scare
the very birds they mimicked.

Those cries reflected
our own fears
at being lost
past midnight
in this dangerous city.

A merlin falcon,
no nocturnal bird,
winged grey in the street lamps
against rain-black sky.

Confused by such light,
such distress,
we circled and circled
until we found ourselves
and went home.


Mary Stebbins Taitt
for Keith, and for Jari Jarvela, who also inspired the poem with his story
121018-1354-1st

8 comments:

merrytait said...

I am behind on catching up after our trip and other such. WIll try ASAP to catch up, but not right now. After being up until after 2:30 Am, I am very tired and way behind on the tasks of the day. Mary

John said...

Frightening Mary, you captured the "mood" perfectly.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Thank you so much John! :-D :-D

Unknown said...

Electronic bird screams?! Wow.

I love how you tell the story. I could just picture being there.

jo(e) said...

Oh, that last comment was me.

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

Thanks, jo(e)!!! I MISS YOU!!!!

This was such a "Quest" adventure!!!

Anonymous said...

Thanks a lot for great sharing!!



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Unknown said...

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