CRYSTALLINE TOWERS

Crystalline towers
Reaching almost to heaven,
Singing in the wind.

Metallic statues
Of hideous carnivores,
Once living round here.

Silence except whistling
From the towers ... then shrilling
In the distance.

A great way off resounds
Such monstrous bellowing,
Never heard on Earth.

Could the old statues
Represent monstrous creatures,
Still living today?

Hideous bird song
Part cawing and part shrilling,
Also approaching.

The singing towers
Seem to call to the terrors,
Rapidly nearing.

Through the crystal forest
Comes the sound of glass breaking,
As horrors near.

A strange shimmering
Shows vaguely in the distance
Something on the way.

Standing by the towers
Nightmare beasts are running,
Rapidly toward you.

Strange silvery shapes
Look vaguely like animals,
Still you can't see what.

As the creatures near
You see that, like the towers,
They are crystalline.

Grotesquely ugly beasts
Made of living crystals,
Reflecting sunlight.

As the beasts approach
In fear, you hurl a crystal rock,
Hitting one beast.

As the stone connects
The crystal monster shatters,
Still seven remain.

Shrilling in terror
The other beasts turn and run,
Back to the forest.

Shrilling as they run
Smashing through the crystal trees,
In a mad stampede.

Now you're alone
You and the crystal towers,
Now singing in distress.

THE END
© Copyright 2023, Philip Roberts
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia