Nigel was poetic optimism,
like a luminous sunset that touched
a golden autumn beach;
Nigel was a poetry professor by day
By night, however, he wrote sonnets
in pen-dipped indigo ink,
read William Blake by the fireside
while sipping wine from Burgundy
unless…
He sensed a dreamer slipping into a nightmare
then Nigel would shape shift into a clever crow
would fly to the bedside, seek out a tome of poetry
hoping one was still open by bedside
He’d wait hidden among pages of verses
until he saw the nightmare shadow
hover above its prey,
then he’d pluck it from the dreaming heart
to let the sleeper rest in peaceful repose
He’d alight once more as a crow so shrewd
to feed the captured nightmare to volcanoes
then fly back home in night’s black cape
to revert to his poetic persona
So, if you’re plagued with nightmares
be sure to heed my words
read a poem of Blake’s at bedtime
and leave the book open by your pillow
Graphic generated by AI.
The Day Twelve prompt is to write a poem that plays with the idea of a “tall tale.” The poem can revolve around a mythical character, one you make up entirely, or add fantastical elements into a real person’s biography.
I fashioned this poem based on a poetry professor I had in grad school who in fact did write sonnets in the evenings and taught me to love Blake. The crow part, well, I just made that up.
Wind Rush 