A poem inspired by a visit to a ruined castle  on a lake shore in county Sligo.

A Blood Moon Rises

A blood moon rises, peering through dark cloud

A cry in the forest, chilling and loud

Like a demon, from another world

Tendrils of clouds, like banners unfurled

Casting twisted shadows in the moonlight

On this cold and dark winter’s night.

Deep in the forest on a haunted hill

A raven’s cry, sharp and shrill

From the highest towers of the castle keep

To the dungeons below, so dark and deep

Memories trickle down through the years

Ripples of music, laughter and tears

Echoes of footsteps down ancient hallways

From those distant and long forgotten days

Ghosts and phantoms now abound

Among the briars, nettles and stony ground

Through ancient arches and broken doorways

Up crumbling and winding stone stairways

Ivy now creeps on crumbling walls

Down dusty corridors and musty halls

Where lords and ladies danced in candlelight

To haunting music, long into the night

In the banquet hall, they gathered for the feast

Regaled by tales of dragons and fearsome beasts
A harpist weaves magic in music and song

Bringing tears to the eyes as they sing along

Some drink to remember while others to forget

Recalling sweet memories and some of regret

Music and laughter and young lovers dreams

And in darkest corners, hatching  plots and schemes

Conspiracies and intrigue, loyalty and betrayals

Now cobwebs shimmer like silken veils

Down dusty corridors where dappled moonlight

Flickers and dances in pools of soft light

Evening falls, as the pale light fades

A twilight world of shadows and shades

c/ Denis Murphy 17 July 2017.