the flash, an image mashed up from several pixabay.com photos

the rain last night,
–a misty leaden shield,
––had all but washed
–––away the muddy field.
––––the green is greener now
–––––the sky is deeper blue
––––––and the labyrinthine wood
–––––––opens up to show
––––––––three stricken men, weary and furtive,
–––––––––with eyes that scan the level view,
––––––––––a field that beckons like a sieve
–––––––––––to lead them to some resting pew.
‘the sky is clear,
–the field is clean,’ the first man says
––‘the end at last is near,
–––let us cross in haste!’
––––he sees an end
–––––to all this wayfaring
––––––an end to the pain
–––––––of running, trudging, struggling,
––––––––pursued in the night,
–––––––––in mire and in rain
––––––––––by rangers who hunted them
–––––––––––with mighty fierce guns, in vain.
‘the field is deadly still,’
–the second man says
––‘the sun scorches,
–––i fear the silence!’
––––the pathway swerves
–––––about, beyond the plains
––––––yet unknown, touching at length
–––––––the sky, yet unseen.
––––––––he fears the light
–––––––––more than the painful night,
––––––––––he fears the end
–––––––––––more than the actual flight.
‘i see no being
–that may do us harm,
––your fear unfounded
–––must not cause any alarm,
––––nor do i see the end you speak of
–––––my other friend,
––––––the sky is deeper blue
–––––––and only greener the green.’
––––––––so as the third man speaks
–––––––––he pulls the rope
––––––––––and herds the cattle forward,
–––––––––––onward, with but a hope.
three burdened men wend on
–across the open field
––each to his thought
–––and the stock the grangers yielded.
––––they leave the labyrinthine wood
–––––from whence they come
––––––three weary men out into the lea,
–––––––into the sieve, exposed under the sun —-
––––––––a bolt from out the blue
–––––––––flashes and as suddenly sweeps
––––––––––and in no time has felled
–––––––––––the
––––––––––––weary
–––––––––––––men
––––––––––––––asleep
–––––––––––––––!!!
––––––––––––––––!

© SSJ 2017

WPC:  danger!