By Peter Devonald
Welcome to the carnival of delights
forbidden sighs and sights
the known world has never seen
the alive and the has-been
all are welcome here to scream
and shout and make a scene.
For one night only the world is ours
the blood micro-moon shines and overpowers
the normal rules that control the everyday hours
strengthen and reinforce and devour
this near lunar eclipse
that ushers in this nights apocalypse.
Ready the banshee in its frenzy
Ghosts, gorgons and griffins reveal your envy
Cerberus is off his leash
Hydra will find his niche
Demons and Dragons and Unicorns
Will reveal their wings and fly tonight.
Hobgoblins and imps will cherish mischief
Manticore and Minotaur will have belief
that freedom beckons and they are who they want to be.
Werewolves and ogres just want to eat whoever they see
zombies hustle and bustle together
Valkyries are ready to all die altogether.
Sphinx asks riddles to play with your mind
answers are impossible you will find.
Wraith’s walk upon the land once more
revenge on the minds to even the score. Typhons and dragons breathe fire galore
the earth in flames and violently scored.
One night of carnage and madness is now
an evening that humans should avoid somehow
stay in bed, avoid and no caveats!
The carnival of delights is a mesmerising sight
the last rites of the bright lights are the highlight
the circus of monsters on this one terrifying night.
Peter Devonald is poet in residence at Haus-a-rest, regular columnist for Culture and Arts, and Heart Of The Heatons poetry winner. 50+ poems published / forthcoming in 2022: Artist's Responding to..., ArtLove02, Bolton Breakdown, Dear Politicians: Ecopoetry, Dirigible Balloon, Dwell Time Press, Forget-Me-Not Press, Greenhouse, 6 issues Haus-a-rest, RIVISTA, Sixpence Society, Shallot, Spoonie, Suburban Witchcraft, Substantially Unlimited: Stigma, and Wishbone Words. Five group shows including Tender Stems with PaintingWriting, Chronically Online Culturable Layered Onion. Featured in Poetic Map of Reading and Southwark Festival Of Words. 50+ film awards, former mentor Peter Ustinov Awards (iemmys) and Children’s Bafta nominated. Manchester based, Peter runs monthly 8-word stories for Heaton/Cheadle/Didsbury Post.