As Ever Like the Sun & Moon at War

7- ☾☾

. . .whereat Pariah wakes to hammock's sway

with bottled wine in hand his counterpart

did take toward just earlier today,

and thoughts that rise on thinking that which he

did hear about the death of Minister—

the first to offer help when he arriv'd—

who's now been kill'd most likely for his acts

of friendliness and kindness t'ward our man.

And telling is the way in which he died,

as like the Warden he was hung and drown'd,                10

and there is but one man who knows the tale

of their escape—the way the Warden died—

aside from both of them, who heard it told.

He dumps the drink upon the ground and swings

himself to rise and gaze upon his farm—

what little he can see by fleeting light—

deciding here and now t'eliminate

this threat toward the life that he hath built.

Pariah stands and marches stable-bound,

where cart and horses stay, and here he swings               20

the gate that holds one steed inside its pen

and takes the saddle up from where it hangs

upon a nail driven in the wall

to strap it to his horse and lead th'equine

toward a table whereat doth he light

a match to hold inside a lantern's glass.

From here he mounts the lantern on a pole,

attaching this upon the horse's seat

and climbs his steed to ride into the night.

He takes the road to south and also east                30

t'arrive upon the coastal settlement,

and nearing town doth he extinguish quick

his lantern's light and lead the horse again

on foot, to mask his presence in this place

so dully lit itself by lights maintain'd

by ev'ry denizen upon their porch

or hanging from an awning, to deter

a burglar stalking streets and ent'ring homes.

Pariah ties his horse upon a post

and sneaks about the alleyways in dark                40

from pool to pool of shadow til he comes

upon the home he knows is Uniform's—

a larger structure than is typical,

but not enough to seem exorbitant,

as gaps of wealth in town are minimal.

Pariah makes around the street t'appear