Escape

do not fret
as darkness comes
catch the cool air
beneath a barn owl's
wings

rising in flight
from a bare branch
bewitched by moonshine
in a forest of
silvered slow motion

an apparition
of white wonder
gliding against the backdrop
of an ink black sky
pitted with sequins

carry me with you
night bird

Reviews

[Crowley]

Only under the cover of night is this type of escape possible. The possibility of everything grows in the dark, good or bad, the escape requires the cover before the light of day shrinks it to man size bits made out or our agreed upon realities. Great writing Chris!

[Chris Shaw]

Hey, hi Crowley. An old poem out for an airing. Thanks for stopping by to share your thoughts. All the best to you.

Chris

[Lorry]

This takes on extra significance Chris, considering when it was written and what we now have been through and know (apologies for missing it back then, must have been staring at a wall)
Some things never change and I think more than a few of us now know that the calm and solace of night is one of those that we can escape to and forget the new C word, covid for a while.
Being a time served night owl like yourself, I too knew that that is exactly where to find a slice of sanity, as our up to then waking world was shaken about like an over eager kid was shaking our snow globe.
Hopefully now, he (and it would have been a he) has forgotten all about us and won't shake us again... Fingers, knees, toes and ears crossed.) 😊

[Chris Shaw]

Love your new avatar Lorry. Many thanks for visiting this old poem, written in early days of the first lockdown. Yes, night time brought some comfort. Out for an airing during a break from writing.

Chris

[Lorry]

Et you think it's Bessie. I did too, but according to the info, it is the swan bridge statue!!!
read more Et you think it's Bessie. I did too, but according to the info, it is the swan bridge statue!!!
And not a Swan in sight either! 😊

[Chris Shaw]

Ha ha. Dressed up as Bessie. Love it :)

[Cherrie Palmer]

I love the feel of this (in part because I like watching and listening at night). You have sharpened your senses of expression. Capturing, sky, moon, and predator in flight. Just magical.

[Chris Shaw]

Thanks for stopping by Cherrie. Really appreciate your encouragement.

Chris

[Davidgeo]

Fly until we cannot. At the end of the day, that's eventually what we all say to ourselves isn't it? Good writing tends to make me think about things like that when it's done right. You've actually inspired me to watch some old George Romero zombie flicks. The first one is actually objectively good film making; "Night of the Living Dead".... it's more about society and small group interaction (and not a bad screenplay).

[Chris Shaw]

I think you might be the first caller of mine that is inspired to watch zombie movies after reading me:) That is going to put a huge grin on my grandson's face today. Enjoy those films and thanks for the review. Better fly in the imagination than die on the ground.

Chris

[Abhishek Asthana]

seemed as a common write in the beginning but soon after it caught the flow which got maintained by an extraordinary narrative effort... very nicely written... Thank you for sharing this piece !!

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Abhishek. I appreciate your thoughts and your visit. All good wishes.

Chris

[Dave Brown]

Just realizing that I read this earlier
It sets a lovely mood
We are owl dominated in our area and I find them wonderfully iconic

[Chris Shaw]

You share my fondness for owls Dave. Wise old birds they are. Many thanks for checking in and apologies for my late response.

Chris

[Carola]

lovely, very expressive little poetic story. "bewitched by moonshine" "silvered slow motion" great descriptions !!
i love birds, all animals in fact..... about 6 months or so ago i had an owl sitting motionless on my washing line around midnight. i'm a bit of a night owl myself often up until 1:30-2:30 am.
and 2 night ago i had a tawny frogmouth sitting on my washing line, so now i often check my washing line at night.
cheerio carola

[Chris Shaw]

Dear Carola, please accept my apologies for my tardy response. Pleased you also share my fondness for owls. Wise old birds they are. Take care in these troubled times.

Chris

[CLCurrie]

I enjoy this a lot and all the imagery works well. I worked on a farm for a few years and it all feels like something I would have seen out in the fields at night. I really like it.

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you so much for your lovely review. Truly appreciated. Keep safe and well.

Chris

[Robert Trakofler]

good morning Chris:) I wish I could take that ride but as you know us bunnies tend to get eaten by owls so I'm a bit hesitant LOL

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you Bunny for the smile. Keep safe and well and thanks for the visit.

Chris

[augustus]

I can just visualise that owl flying past me after twisting and twooing all night. Freedom is graphically illustrated in your poem.

[Chris Shaw]

Many thanks Augustus for your review. Keep safe and well.

Chris

[Miss Sharon]

(bewitched by moonshine in a forest of silvered slow motion) What beautifully poetic prosody is this! I love the way you weave a spell with your well chosen words my friend. ~Sharon

[Chris Shaw]

Dear Sharon, many thanks for your visit. Your thoughts so appreciated. Keep safe and well.
read moreDear Sharon, many thanks for your visit. Your thoughts so appreciated. Keep safe and well.

Chris