in travel through the desert to this place,
when one of th'halves herein would not allow
the other to enjoy a spot of drink. 50
As thoughts and figuring are toss'd about
our Preacher's head, a shadow doth approach
much wider than a single person makes
from down the way beside the small canal.
Continuing, our Preacher doth converge
upon the blob of dark within a pool
of light a lamp emits at channel's edge
and finds he's met with hooded men of three
in patchy tunics, hands in pockets stuff'd.
"How be you, fellows," Preacher greets with slurs, 60
"this fairest night within this fairest town?
I hope the lot of ye enjoy as much
this eve as I, exploring through the haze."
The men betwixt themselves do snicker now
with looks from one another and to him
ere drawing blades that glimmer in the moon
out from their pockets, pointing whilst one speaks:
"A fairest night indeed. Agreed, my friends?"
His comrades nod their heads, repeating "Yea,"
before he speaks again toward our man: 70
"A fairest night for all of us involv'd,
for we'll be taking all that's in thy purse
and thou'lt be let t'escape with nary cuts
upon thine abdomen or pouring blood
upon the cobble ere we'd roll thee in
the stream to wash along from this plateau."
Our Preacher isn't taken quite aback
by any of these things, for by this time
awareness of these situations hath
become but second nature to the man. 80
He shakes his head and even chuckles soft,
which causes both the muggers in behind
the first to bare their teeth, whilst th'other one
doth roll his eyes with more experience.
"Anxiety that causes one to laugh
is probably the most annoying trait
I ever have encounter'd doing this,
so warn thee once, I shall; avast this noise
and hand thy purse to me before I slice
that grating throat and silence thee for good." 90
Our Preacher ceases, growing serious.
He slowly reaches up toward his shirt,
YOU ARE READING
As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War
PoetryA troubled Pilgrim sets upon a road in search by sun and storm of paradise; a vain Pariah's banish'd from his home to render justice by the moonlit night: two individuals who share a flesh, each unalike in methods and beliefs, yet fated consequence...
8- ❂ -VI
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