As Night Descends – A Poem in Two Parts

As Night Descends
Sunset, Montana

1.

As sunset claims the western sky,
The colours change and blend,
Red and gold and purple hues,
Whatever shade God sends.

The day surrenders meekly
As the night slowly descends,
But a final blast of colour
Warns the Sun will rise again.

Darkness encroaches on the land
And most creatures fall asleep,
Except the few nocturnal ones
Who after dark will creep.

They forage in the undergrowth
For bugs and worms and such,
While owls are hooting overhead
In search of a late lunch.

They swoop down with a rush of wings,
The prey, by claws, snatched up.
Transported back to hungry chicks
Who on this prize may sup.

With Sun now gone, the Moon holds court,
Watching from its throne on high.
All seems slow and quieter now
As stars blink in the night sky.

Waves roll gently into shore,
With lovers strolling hand in hand.
The Moon controls the changing tide,
Blowing kisses to the sand.

Be careful where you stray
Nightlife Stirs

2.

While in the city, nightlife stirs,
Neon signs light up the streets.
Loud music blares from clubs and bars,
To encourage dancing feet.

Other beings are nocturnal too,
They rise at night to seek their prey,
Or any who are vulnerable,
And may stumble in their way.

These predators have many names
That spring into your head
Vampires, werewolves, zombies
Ghosts, spirits, the Undead.

All these are simply fictional,
But real monsters do exist.
They may just look like you and me,
But their charm you must resist.

Stalkers, killers, rapists,
Scammers, sharks, and trolls.
Are all lurking in dark corners
With their evil voodoo dolls.

So, if you wander out at night,
Be careful where you stray,
For the city’s where most monsters lurk.
And where they like to play.

Always keep your wits about you,
Do not fall for sneaky tricks.
Their smooth-talking and charisma
Is how they get their kicks.

But, night doesn’t last forever,
And the Sun will rise again.
Make sure you’re there to greet it,
Like a welcome long-lost friend.

 

© John Hansen 2022

For more works like ‘As Night Descends’ by this author see John Hansen on The Creative Exiles.
You can also find great works by John Hansen with the pen name of Jodah on HubPages.

 

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John Hansen

Longtime poet but not in the traditional technical sense. I enjoy rhyme but like to experiment and dabble in many different forms and maybe even make up some of my own. There is always a message or lesson I want to promote through my writing, for that reason, my poetry generally shies away from the abstract and obscure. Now I find myself branching out and experimenting with short fiction, and thoroughly enjoying this, especially flash fiction. I have been fortunate to have two poems made into songs and recorded. The first "On the Road to Kingdom Come" by Al Wordlaw, and the second, "If I Could Write a Love Poem" by award-winning Israeli/British singer Tally Koren. My services increasingly in demand as a freelance writer and I have ghost-written the text for a number of children's books and educational tutorials. It has taken me many years of searching and restlessness to realise that my life's passion is to write. It saddens me that I wasted so many years not devoting to that, but thinking positively, the experiences gained over those years are now wonderful material for my stories and poems. I want to try to bring a new focus on poetry and try to make it appealing to a new generation of young people and those who thought they never liked or understood it before.

9 thoughts on “As Night Descends – A Poem in Two Parts

  • November 25, 2022 at 8:04 PM
    Permalink

    Thank you, Phyllis. I always appreciate you taking the time to read, and comment. Glad you enjoyed the rhythm and rhyme of this one.

  • December 13, 2022 at 4:06 PM
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    Always amazing with rhyme and cadence John. Well done. The cities have gotten much worse in recent months where these predators can just do the crime and get out before the sun sets. No cash bail is destroying major cities in the US. Great work as always. ~Paul

  • December 14, 2022 at 2:03 AM
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    Thank you Paul. Good to hear from you again. I appreciate the kind words regarding the poem. Wow, no cash bail! I hadn’t heard about that, but can’t imagine it could lead to much good.

  • January 2, 2023 at 7:17 AM
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    John I enjoyed the poem. Wonderful rhyme and great use of metrics. I would like to join you on your quest. I also want poetry to be available to everyone. Poetry saves lives! Your friend, Jamie.

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