Halloween
Thorns nettles wasp tails
sting less than harsh words
or the silence
of an indifferent lover
or one who betrays
time’s pledge
or one who rebukes
with an overzealous tongue
we are all innocents
until proven guilty
our star-grooved gaze
fixed upon
the marauding crows
that hover and cavort
in unvanquished space
and mortify our dreams
John Lyons