Rest child, beside the fire
And warm your hands and heart;
I gave you such a fright
You nearly came apart;
But never mind that now,
Don’t tremble like a fawn,
You’re safe as safe can be
And night will soon be gone;
This merry, crackling fire
As spoken of in lore,
Is able to repel
The ghosts upon the moor;
What brought you out this night
While ghoul and ghost hold sway?
And where is dear mother?
She knows you ran away?
Well, aren’t you a brave one
To scoff at tale and fable;
Yes, I promise you may
Leave when you are able;
For now, enjoy this fire;
There is some truth to lore;
Fire, betimes, can repel
The ghosts upon the moor;
What, child, was that you said?
Your hands and feet grow chill?
The fire does not warm you-
Is your heart frozen still?
Fear not, it soon will pass,
And when it does, no cold
Or pain, or aching sorrow
Will ever take its hold;
There never was a fire,
But that your own mind bore;
Now, breathe your last and join
The ghosts upon the moor.
© 2021 J. Lewis. All Rights Reserved.
Born before "Video Killed the Radio Star" aired on MTV, J. Lewis has always been an avid reader. His favorite works include Les Miserables by Victor Hugo, The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Good Night Gorilla by Peggy Rathman, and everything written by Edgar Allen Poe. He is currently writing a historical fiction romance set during the American Civil War and a number of short stories. You can find some of his previous work in Crow Calls Volume I and on theorganicpoet.com