The white owl-
wounds the silent, milky night
with its screech and growl.
Long, black grasses stained with red-
and disheveled by scurrying feet
shiver in cold wind-
carrying carrion smell,
while a crowd of insomniac words flicker
on ivory page
in a dance.
Posted for dVerse Poets Pub ~ Quadrille #36 hosted by Grace
&
Shared with Poetry Pantry #365 @ Poets United
sumanar/lekha 
I love the idea of words flickering on a page, it gives a very vivid image of the sub-conscious dance 💜
..while a crowd of insomniac words flicker on ivory page in a dance… sigh.. Beautifully haunting!❤️
There’s menace outside, and what flickers across the page might not be reassuring either. I like the moodiness of this one.
I admire the dark and moody night with:
carrying carrion smell,
while a crowd of insomniac words flicker
on ivory page
in a dance.
Thank you Sumana for participating in our celebration. Love your work. Cheers!
You’ve nicely presented late night writing dancing on an ivory page while an owl hunts.
Stunning images in this. I like the stark feel of the colours you paint.
“carrying carrion smell”…..this is a haunting take on the prompt. Well done!
Nice contrast of the busy primal world outside and the busy cerebral one inside.
Primal, indeed! The flickers of life and light in the forest and mind intertwined.
The hunt, the kill, the ‘crowd’ gathers to watch. Wonderfully accomplished mood in this poem! I really enjoy the stark contrast between the two worlds you depict.
I don’t write as much late night as I used to while being a wage slave. Retirement allows me more light on the page, less awareness of the children of the night. Like others, you had me at /carrion smell/.
Indeed! The late night muse carried you to a better vantage. Much imagery, vivid, in so few words.
Really enjoyed this, Sumana. It reminds me of a Mary Oliver poem.
the night owl is your muse 🙂
This is really a great piece of work, It’s so difficult to include things like an “owl screeching” well in poetry but you describing it as wounding the night is just so poignant and moving. What a beautiful way of phrasing that. Pure poetry! I read this many times.
Love the shift from bird of prey to the flickering words on a page.
A beautiful write!
The intentionally bizarre “silent, milky night”, “long, black grasses” red “with carrion smell” delivered me the aha with the “insomniac words”. A beautiful poem on the poetry process which, I suppose (while hoping I didn’t misread), only those who’ve marched armies of sword-dancing words into bloody night battles and conquered the ivory pages with survivors of brevity and poetic expressions would understand. 🙂
“insomniac words” hold much power. Beautiful poem, Sumana.
I love the idea of insomniac words flickering on a page! You are so good with images!
The insomniac visits the owl’s day and life blood, scurrying away yet influenced, alert. You take me with you. I wrote a poem today that ended with the word “dance,” too, perhaps a similar one.
Simply gorgeous!
I can’t write in the night..though I would imagine it is a much more powerful time… words come when they come! Very atmospheric lines Sumana…
Sound like me reading an unputdownable book after midnight! What a great read this is Sumana.
This is wonderful to read. I can see the owl, hear its screech and growl, see the stained grass. A fantastic write, Sumana!
This is a rather dark look at insomniac words. Well written!
Your descriptions make those terrible feelings so very vivid…
The snowy owl is mystical and often comes with a message. I sense some uncertainty between the lines.
You’ve captured the mood of a poet’s sleepless night, beautifully, here. Alone as words ‘flicker
on ivory page’ ~ sigh ~ lovely.
Nicely orchestrated
Beautiful!!!