February 22, 2016

The Darkest Night by Ryan Stone

The mind has many defences, she wrote
in her award-winning essay. Glowing,
she stood in front of her school;
movie tickets her prize. 

Painted in shades between girl and woman
she kissed me goodbye with bright red lips
and joined her friends in line.

The mind has many defences, she wrote. 
Maybe that's why, in police reports,
many claimed they'd heard fireworks.
Odd in a cinema; the alternative
too grim to believe.






Ryan Stone is a freelance writer from Melbourne, Australia.  He shares his home in the blue Dandenongs with his wife, two young sons and a German Shepherd.  A selection of Ryan's poetry, prose, haiku, art and flash fiction can be found on his blog - www.daysofstone.wordpress.com

11 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Rose! Truly appreciated :)

      Delete
  2. So poignant, Ryan, especially for a Denverite like me, who knew both Columbine and the Aurora Cinema shootings. Way too many of those in the U.S.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for your support, Sarah. I couldn't agree more - such an evil thing that is spreading through the world.

      Delete
  3. This comment has been removed by the author.

    ReplyDelete
  4. The poem is very scary but touching. Another random shooting in Kalamazoo, MI recently. When will it ever end.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Dear Joan, thank you for your kind feedback. I wish I could foresee an end but I don't think that is the case, sadly.

      Delete
  5. Dear Ryan this is another of your great poems! lots of untold and mistery for words left... ;)

    ReplyDelete