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Canopy Feeding

Katie Frances Hartless
, , , , ,

Night’s onyx claw grips
each of us.

The regime of daylight
drips into us.

In these bleak times,
darkness’ sponge
eliminates the unwanted colors

that surround us.

The sky wiped clean,
impervious,
a surface that curses us.

There is no moon in sight,
on a numb and starry night.

©2023 | K.F. Hartless

Cover Artwork: Yosemite High Country Under the Stars by Don Smith

d’Verse Poet’s Pub | Quadrille #189: Poems Most Mad & Moonly

44 words featuring the “moon”

Tom Odell “numb”

37 responses to “Canopy Feeding”

  1. MiamiMagus Avatar
    MiamiMagus

    No, but there is the beauty of a lamp light, in a gentle night’s rain

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Yes, thank you. I can see it, safe behind its glass window.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. MiamiMagus Avatar
        MiamiMagus

        And in the dark under the covers. With some hot coco. In my case, with my dog hogging the bed.

        Liked by 1 person

  2. abigfatcanofworms Avatar
    abigfatcanofworms

    Very .. well, dark. I love the opening stanza.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you, worms. I wanted to convey the clutches of winter descending on us, but 44 words might not have been enough.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  3. Ordinary Person Avatar
    Ordinary Person

    This piece can be read in so many ways. One is heralding the darkness and paying it tribute. Another is how the daylight (or even happiness if you’re being metaphorical) is something ephemeral that darkness’ dark sponge always eliminates.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      I liked that idea of night’s tidiness cleaning up each evening. Thanks so much for
      your thought comment.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  4. Ron. Avatar
    Ron.

    Especially dig the sponge imagery. Thanks!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you, Ron. Night does a good job each evening of tidying up.

      Like

      Reply
  5. Bartholomew Barker Avatar
    Bartholomew Barker

    Excellent final couplet!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you. It works out like that, sometimes.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  6. Jim Avatar
    Jim

    Night has magic that pleases. The moon will come unless it has already and passed moonset. Comes on sooo bright that it dims the stars!!
    ..

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      I must have missed it last evening. Good to know it always makes an appearance. 😀

      Like

      Reply
  7. Tom Avatar
    Tom

    Very powerful & vivid descriptions that draw the reader in. Great verses, K! 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you, Tom. It was the after-dinner cleaning that helped me soak this one up. 💜

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  8. kim881 Avatar
    kim881

    I love the ambiguity of your quadrille, ‘Night’s onyx claw’ and ‘darkness’ dark sponge’ wiping the sky clean.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you, Kim. My first thought was this sort of wintry abduction, but it didn’t keep going on that direction exactly.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  9. Björn Rudberg (brudberg) Avatar
    Björn Rudberg (brudberg)

    Love how you address the moon in its absense

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thanks. I was thinking how I could possibly write about the moon again, and then stepped outside to see no moon in sight.

      Like

      Reply
  10. freyathewriter Avatar
    freyathewriter

    A numb and starry night… delicious.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you, Freya.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  11. erbiage Avatar
    erbiage

    Agree with Ron about the sponge. The last few years the winter dark has been less pleasant to bear

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you. I appreciate it. Let’s hope this winters abduction is brief and painless.

      Like

      Reply
  12. Gillena Cox Avatar
    Gillena Cox

    “onyx claw”
    Beautiful descriptions throughout.

    Much🖤love

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you, Gillena. I’m grateful for your encouragement. 💜

      Like

      Reply
  13. memadtwo Avatar
    memadtwo

    The dark moon nights cast a distinct spell. (K)

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Yes, indeed. As often as I’ve seen it, I’m startled each time.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  14. Simon Avatar
    Simon

    No moon but the sky is ablaze with stars 🙂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      It feels like the star guest is missing, but there are lots of less distinct partygoers to enjoy, it’s true.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Simon Avatar
        Simon

        Yes the star guest is missing as it’s a pain in the bottom lol. Gives the little ones a chance to shine 🙂

        Like

  15. whimsygizmo Avatar
    whimsygizmo

    SO many killer ways to describe and personify night here. My favorite crawls right out of the chute:
    “Night’s onyx claw”

    Fantastic!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you. I’m so glad you were captured by this imagery. 😀💜

      Like

      Reply
  16. Helen Avatar
    Helen

    The sponge of darkness!!! Love that and your quadrille.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. K.F. Hartless Avatar
      K.F. Hartless

      Thank you kindly, Helen. It’s all in a day’s cleaning. 💜

      Like

      Reply
  17. ben Alexander Avatar
    ben Alexander

    In these bleak times,
    darkness’ sponge
    eliminates the unwanted colors

    I feel this way too, KK 😦

    ~David

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  18. K.F. Hartless Avatar
    K.F. Hartless

    Much love to you and all of your family and friends, David. 💜 I am thankful to know you through your words.

    Like

    Reply
  19. Melissa Lemay Avatar
    Melissa Lemay

    Love this.

    Like

    Reply

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Author

Written by

Katie Frances Hartless

K.F. Hartless (she/her) is a free-spirited fiction writer and word trapeze artist. When she’s not juggling her career as a literacy specialist, she’s preparing her latest death-defying act on the keys.

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