Riders in the Night

Outside, in the distance
a wild cat did growl
two riders were approaching
the wind began to howl. -Bob Dylan

Hoofbeats on the tundra!
Beneath a mage's moon
she draws her shutters closely,
prays morning finds her soon.

Thunder shatters silence,
a rapping at her door
tears the night asunder--
a mountain cat's wild roar.

All along the cornflower
rows, shadows dance with glee,
seeking answers in the wind
howling by a lone oak tree.

Dawn finds an empty homestead--
bleeds in through broken panes,
across spilled dill an' fennel
and spattered, rusty stains.

First published by Poppy Road Review