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“That night was a dark day. Of course, all nights are dark days, because night is simply a badly lit version of day….”
― Lemony Snicket
Cries in the dark no
longer feral – sky no
longer dark well
after dusk. Our stars,
once rulers now faded
as our gods.
Night, this millennium
remains torturous
to those without sleep.
Life in Portofino 
Wow. Well done, takes us into the deeper regions of the night, where night itself has attenuated. And the millennium of sleeplessness – so good, except sorry you are up so late and can’t sleep! But if we get poems like this, what price?
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Whatever doesn’t kill us brings us that much closer to publication. 🙂
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Firstly, that picture is a haunting bit of perfection for your poem. Excellent choices on your end words (no/no/faded/gods) and phrasing (longer dark well.) This is so evocative of 3 AM!
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Thank you, Jill! I worked this one over a couple of times before I was happy with it (but are we ever really happy with it?). I’m glad you came by and read it!
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Thank you!
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We’ve changed the night, the way we’ve changed so much of the world. I like this.
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Thank you! It is a shame, our fear of the dark.
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badly lit and so well writ – who put the heat into the night besides Norman Jewison? Its hard enough for an insomniac to sleep
p.s. Lemony Snicket did not reach me until now
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Thank you, Laura! Snicket is not something I’ve spent much time in, but he has some wonderfully snarky quotes.
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Brilliant Charley. The middle of the night can feel so surreal, almost as if the darkness is another dimension.
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Thank you! Yes, and this was the middle of the night. Horrid congestion, coughing. Might as well write while I’m imbibing the… um, cough syrup. 🙂
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