XYLOIDIUM

(About The Night-Camp)

As we burned wood
Strange Shadows arose around our fire
while we all sat in awe (of them)
unable to identify their faces
--even as faces--And yet many of us
suspected them of being: "Our Dreams!"
pouring about us, walking, dancing,
swirling, laughing (maybe)

One of us shouted: "They are the souls
of wandering stars!" None seconded him.
Somebody else suggested, "Pilgrims!"

And we stood there in astonishment
watching them keeping with us forever!
"Spooks!" cried someone else.
And then, "Sprites!"

"Imps!"                          
"Ghosts!"           
           "Goblins!"    
                          "Ghouls!"

Here Wood was completely gobbled up
by the fire (and all the Shadows
vanished): Awe! Stillness!! Hush!!!

All of us thought on things a while.
Nobody spoke.

Then someone shouted: "Quick!!
Quick! Fire up the wood again!
Before they come back
and catch us in The Darkness!"

And we all scurried out
into the surrounding Woods
to get more wood
as quickly as we could

Making it back just in the nick
of time (in time to escape
any of their dark, dark tricks)

in our once again wooden
burning darkness "Safe!"

(safe from their darkness)