He Who Wanders

As the day dies
And dusk rears
Its violet face,
A sour song thrums
Through my head.
Pale stars tremble
While one verse carries

To the next. Phantoms
Of my sunlit troubles
Dance across my eyes.
The chorus builds
And darkness gathers
Under the swollen moon.
I twist and turn
While midnight’s blanket
Rests heavy

On my shoulders. The song
Sails across the skyscape
And shakes
In my dreams. Nightmare
Men shout the lyrics
Louder and louder,
Still louder and louder. Sweat
Falls like dew on my brow. Terror
Drums against my veins.

But the tune fails
As dawn steps forward.
The sun wakes
On a welcome morning, silent
But for the doves’ hushed coo.
A new day,
A fresh start,
Cleansed of the feverish tune
And the soot of night.