If you be brave, pass through this gate
but be forewarned there death awaits.
On this dark night, old headstones glow.
Bones shift and stir in graves below.
Outstretched limbs point to the sky.
Leaves rustle as fanged bats pass by.
When midnight tolls on Halloween,
ghosts rise to haunt this eerie scene.
The gate will close as morning nears.
Those trapped inside will disappear.
Next Halloween when the gate swings wide
they’ll at last return from the other side.
If only Leroy had distracted the guards a bit longer, they would have made it over the fence to freedom.
Leroy had warned them to wait for nightfall before storming the fence, but they didn’t listen.
Leroy said the grass was greener on the other side, but some had been behind bars so long it had begun to grow on them.
Leroy gave up on helping the captive trees and went back to the greener grass.
The Daily Post weekly photo challenge topic this week is Shine.
The challenge as posed:
Has something bright or reflective caught your eye in the moment? Share a photo of something you were able to explore a bit!
When I was considering what “shiny” things I had seen lately, I remembered the creek where I had hiked a couple of weeks ago. I looked through the photos I had taken that day. Even though it was a cloudy morning, the light of day reflected off the water as it rippled over the smooth rocks of the river bed, creating a shiny ribbon that rolled past me and disappeared into the lush greenery crowding its banks.
But I kept reviewing photos and came across a set that I took just two days ago, but had not really given any thought to after loading them onto my laptop. I had arrived at an appointment early, and rather than sit in the office waiting room, I walked down the second floor hallway to where I could see light coming in through a window.
Through the window was a view of a rain gutter attached to a first floor roof overhang. Leaves had blocked some of the rainwater from flowing into the downspouts, and it made a shiny thin line reflecting the (once again) cloudy sky. Of course I took a photo.
When I turned away from the window, I saw a drinking fountain with two brass and steel basins reflected off a mirrored back splash. Shiny indeed! And of course I took photos.
That is, until I saw a woman watching me through a nearby office door. Her expression was that of someone about to call security to report a loiterer taking random photos of plumbing fixtures. Not shiny at all. I retreated down the hallway to my designated office waiting room.
I wish more things in my life were shiny. My car… my windows… I should probably stop photographing rain gutters and do something about that. Maybe on the next sunshiny day. Around here, that pretty much gives me until July to get it done.
Boiling, bubbling, very troubling. Make just one batch or go for doubling?
fog bank steals ashore pirate ghosts from sunken ships unseen plunderers
autumn leaf carpet shifting patterns in the wind green grass underlay
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I’m not feeling very enthusiastic today. Which I guess is okay. It’s a dreary day in the Pacific Northwest. Yesterday had been forecast to see the “Storm of the Decade” roll in from the Pacific Ocean, remnants of Typhoon Songda. Heavy rainfall and high winds were expected to wreak extensive damage along the coastline and inland to the urban areas of Seattle, WA and Portland, OR.
There was indeed some damage: fallen trees, power outages and some flooding; but not nearly as severe as had been forecast. Which I’m sure is no consolation for those who did experience loss.
But maybe that’s what’s contributing to my sense of letdown. Anxiousness and uncertainty was draining on my energy and now there’s no major outcome to justify the concerns. The adrenaline of anticipated danger had nowhere to go since no immediate emergency presented itself for me to address. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. Although that’s what it sounds like. Hmmm…
If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that my dog Chules couldn’t wait to go outside once the worst of the storm passed and I felt relatively confident that he wouldn’t get hit by falling branches. I think he enjoyed the feeling of the strong winds ruffling through his thick fur. As for me, I was content to stay indoors and watch the rain.
I suppose I should step away from the computer and try to do something constructive around the house. That would probably lift my mood. Even though we averted the Storm of the Decade, there will be many dark, cloudy, windy, rainy days ahead this fall and winter. And spring.
I think Pacific Northwesterners were meant to hibernate through the dark winter months, but then someone invented electricity to keep our days lighted and warm. And then someone invented mortgages and car payments and other responsibilities which the bears and rodents and other mammals that hole up for the winter have wisely not encumbered themselves with.
Thanks for stopping by for coffee. Hopefully the weather and I will be less dreary next weekend. Until then, let’s stay warm and dry, and remember to go out and let the wind ruffle our hair a bit. Chules highly recommends it.
Thanks to Diana at ParttimeMonsterBlog.com for hosting the #weekendcoffeeshare.
What Rhymes with Stanza? 