No man's land

Dogs pacing to and fro in kennels

ears and tail hanging low, whimpering,

growling

the thick darkness

slowly cowling the broad daylight

not your typical summer storm

it seemed a spoonful

would be darker than

the darkest night we ever knew

the people stopped ploughing

hand on brow as a visor

soon the sun blanketed

a sense of dread like a clod underfoot

a finely-polished listlessness

imperative to avoid panic

and the clouds, the clouds

amassing like billowed fear

and the dogs barking, barking

gravity warped the mirror into smithereens

people fell to their knees, prayed,

called for shelter

ran away from the epiphany

it was too much reality

too much science

too much life in one sitting

the last starless night fell upon the earth

tucked us motherly in

whispered gently, gently,

“good night”.