“The Great Dane by Stewart Stafford

Martyr father of poison sleep,
Rotten carcass of a slain beast,
Wicked stars cast against him,
Beloved, that loved him least.

O maggot of gnawing doubt,
Wriggling along life’s tightrope,
Sleepwalking this broken path,
To a coup de grâce last stroke.

The players unmask dark play,
Trampling nightshade that reeks,
Honour's duel in a snake pit,
The shadow castle grows weak.

© Stewart Stafford, 2023. All rights reserved.”