Last Drop

[Hawkman]

Now the eidolon of dread,
a spectre wrought of shadow,
lifts his awful hand and beckons.

Through dusty, cobwebbed halls,
as drifting motes upon ethereal winds,
we catch the flickering light of candle flames
and flare briefly in a thousand points of light
refracted through the prism of time’s eye.

We are dream-walkers, mere ghosts,
beyond the ragged veil of sleep,
while at our backs, bound and hooded,
fate’s pendulum dangles on a hempen strand.

The rattling echo of the swinging trap,
fading with the dawn,
makes its last orison
and falls silent.

[zoolane]

It wonderful peom it remind of 1 verse and last verse of being in barn, laying of haysack watch spiders at top.

Verse 2 of be in victorian bedroom watch out window by candle light, verse 3 off be in haunted house but dreamed in all.

Verse 4 back in barn but all way through the peom is storm occur.

[hillwalker]

Slightly dark and disturbing H

That 'rattling echo of the swinging trap' puts me in mind of a hangman's scaffold and it's fatal trapdoor.

For all its gothic imagery this is a wonderful piece.

[PrinceMyshkin]

I want to say ditto to hillwalker's last statement. Between the grimness of the poem's content and the assurance and art of its depiction, I would declare this a very hard-fought tie.

Magnificent poem!

[AuntShecky]

The best feature of your latest offering is the word choice.
Among your well-chosen mots, "dream-walker" is my favorite.

Readers can pick up the meaning from "eidolon" from the context, but I went to the dictionary just to refresh my memory as to the pronunciation. (I was right -- for once!) The word comes directly from the Greek with the spelling intact. It means "an image without real existence phantom, apparition." The second meaning is "an ideal person or thing." (Does that mean the ideal doesn't really exist? Hmmm.) Note that you can actually hear the word "idol" in "eidolon."

"Orison" was perfect. It doesn't sound like horizon without the "h," because the stress is on the first syllable, "or." It means "prayer," as in "ora pro nobis."

Well done, H.

[Hawkman]

zoolane,

Thanks for dropping in and I’m glad you liked the poem, although I fear It’s true nature is much darker than you may have perceived.

hill,

You are of course correct in your interpretation. A little gothic fun to cheer the soul. I trust it is neither too dark nor too disturbing and I’m happy that you deem it wonderful. I had several attempts at writing a poem about a dragonfly, but gave up. This is what I ended up with instead :D

My Prince,

You are too kind. I was trying to live up the expectation of variety in style and subject. That you consider it magnificent is praise indeed, so thank you very much.

Hi Auntie,

Thank you too and I’m glad you approve, personally I consider that my ideal is definitely an illusion, but it doesn’t stop me searching for it. ;)

Thank you all for your kind words. Live and be well - H

[zoolane]

Hi Hawkman,

On learning curve about poemtry and writing at moment eager to learn and hopeful get my act together.(sooner rather than later)

I just re-readed the poem is about 'Vampire'?

[Hawkman]

Hi zoolane,

The poem is about the transition of the soul of a hanged man.

The eidolon of dread may be interpreted as death or as Charon, the ferryman who transported the souls of the dead across the River Styx in Greek mythology.

The body of the man is suspended from a hemp rope and has fallen through the trapdoor of the scaffold.

H

[zoolane]

Thank you for explained the poem, I quite far behind then you all on here but hopeful you forgive my naive of writing.

[blank|verse]

A bit too heavily-laden with archaisms and linguistic cobwebs for my taste, but as Prince commented, it's well written and some of the imagery is brilliant. The shorter lines at the poem's end work well.

While I disagree strongly with AuntShecky that such a redundant word as 'orison' is 'perfect' (and I remember you are a Wilfred Owen fan; see also 'rattling'!) I thought the idea of the trap's echoes being prayers, presumably for the poor chap now dangling between it, was exceptional.

[hack]

Very good Hawk, is the echoed prayer
for the hanged, or for the hangman?

[Hawkman]

Hi B/V

Personally I don't consider the poem to be laden with 'linguistic cobwebs and archaisms', although I admit I have been free with gothic imagery but then the subject matter rather invites it. As always I'm gratified that you found some of them pleasing.

Eidolon is a beautiful word and not used nearly enough I feel. Orisons is a word still used by some erudite authors in contemporary literature, and again I find it a pleasing alternative to the more mundane prayers.

hack, thanks, a prayer for both would be appropriate,

Thank you both for dropping by.

Live long and prosper, H

[Bar22do]

Now the eidolon of dread,
a spectre wrought of shadow,
lifts his awful hand and beckons.

Through dusty, cobwebbed halls,
as drifting motes upon ethereal winds,
we catch the flickering light of candle flames
and flare briefly in a thousand points of light
refracted through the prism of time’s eye.

We are dream-walkers, mere ghosts,
beyond the ragged veil of sleep,
while at our backs, bound and hooded,
fate’s pendulum dangles on a hempen strand.

The rattling echo of the swinging trap,
fading with the dawn,
makes its last orison
and falls silent.


Almost too hard for me to take, but the artistry of it carried me through, it's really good, strong and: here here! what was I speaking about right now in your other post - the dreaded trap finally catches us... Bar

[Hawkman]

I hope this one never does! - H

[cogs]

the language took me back to hanging's earlier time, so it was effective. i'm a fan of specters in poetry (such imagery). i particularly liked how insignifcant, yet dreadful, the characters and implements of death were, here. i wanted to know more about the spectre of dread. this poem is quite haunting, and the title thoughtful.

[Hawkman]

Thanks cogs, glad you liked it.