Will o' Wisp

poem

by Lee Clark Zumpe

in the hollow by the creek
after the sun dips behind the ridge
night restores shadow to the wood

as the gods dust the sky with a pinch of stars
the balsams gently sway to October's sonata
and the glow of tiny lanterns warms the water's edge

some say the source of light is faery fires:
the substantiation of ageless legend
and testimony to the personification of nature

investigation might provide a more rational account
in this age of science and terminal doubt
but I find myself unwilling to take those steps

instead, I keep my distance and watch from afar,
eventually drifting off under the spell of their song
as they revel down in the hollow by the creek

Copyright © 2006 by the article's author