Shadow in Old Barain
Water please?
Who calls at my door,
this dark and rainy night too bleak for passage,
and yet a figure appears; I shudder, he
shadowed by hood and hunched upon the stoop?
What say you shadow upon my stoop,
this night entreats no-one to bare,
so what nightmare news have you to tell,
for me to see a reason bound?
With drips of rain from hood and shoulder flow,
a shadowed face did speak,
in low and guttural tones, as if a spectre’s groan,
and I listened, half a feared, have intrigued,
but nonetheless with heart so prone for strife.
‘May I have a glass of water, please?’ he asked,
my face a crumpled disagreement front,
‘With all this water, have you not enough?’ I replied,
as he cleared his thought and said it once again.
Silence played a waiting game,
as discomfort climbed to higher peaks,
and with nothing more to say I just fetched the water,
and with hesitancy handed it to this bleak shadow,
this discreet hooded thirst.
He drank it down quickly, gulping with fervent glee,
as if thirst had stolen all he had, and I the restorer be,
and giving him this saving grace,
had somehow saved his very soul.
Handing back the glass,
he nodded thanks and silently went on his way,
and as his shadow dissolved in night,
I stood there speechless, not a word to say.
To this day I do not understand,
in torrents of rain and blackest night a thirst unquenched
did raise a hand, for help;
and I did satisfy the request
from a figure dark, a shadow man,
on bleakest night, in the village of old Barain.
Tony DeLorger © 2016
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How very interesting. Curious tale. This will cause me to ponder for some time, Tony. Very well done.
I like to experiment, change the playing field; its always good for the writer’s soul. lol Thanks Phyllis.
Ohh how rich with intrigue, leaves one to wonder many things…’tis a simple request, seems no one in good conscience could deny, even a stranger shadowed within the dark. An interesting twist with a drench of rain, and the wanting of more. A clever piece Tony, enjoyed the thought and mystery of this one.
Best,
Mel
Glad you enjoyed it Mel, as every now and then I try to stretch the boundaries, try different styles, just to keep myself on my toes. Take care