THE LONG JOURNEY HOME.

A winter evening, darkness is falling

My thoughts are of home and loved ones calling

At the end of day, journey’s end

Eager to see my faithful old friend

As I gather my cloak tightly around me

A bitter North wind bites sharply

Howls and shrieks like some demon from hell

From the old ghost stories my grandfather used tell

Deep in the woods, the trees and branches sway

The darkness gathers to banish another day

Opaque light, shadows and shades

Casting shadows and shapes as daylight fades

Shadows dance, swirl and sway

Like tortured souls, awaiting Judgement Day

Ghostly forms and grotesque faces

From those dark and frightening places

Tales from nightmares and horrors of long ago

Deep in the mind where no one should go

Where dreams linger, at the edge of reality

There is no difference between the sane and insanity

The Sun sinks behind the edge of a hill

A frozen moment as Time stands still

The dying rays through branch and leaf

Flicker like fireflies, sparkle so brief

Dark silhouettes circle against crimson skies

Shattering the silence with their piercing cries

Raucous ravens return to roost  for the night

A pale moon rises, casting soft Moonlight

Silver stream shimmering at my feet

By an old oak tree, I sit beneath

Gnarled and bent and oh, so very old

What Secrets and Memories do these limbs hold ?

A Guardian of Secrets and memories untold

Wisdom and Knowledge so Ancient and Old

Sanctuary and Silent, I rest for awhile

And think of  my loved one and her warm smile

On my journey home through dark and lonely ways

A bright light awaits and happier days

A warm welcome among family and friends

Home, that is where my journey ends

2018. Denis Murphy 26 September 2018.