It's Still Life

“.... his grizzled hair hanging...”  by Charles Dickens, The Haunted Man and the Ghost's Bargain 

Everyone said so. 
He was a plaything 
for the green phantoms 
of Absinthe. 

A sleeping delirium, 
a flame in a hallucination. 
Grim and low voiced, like 
a melody in a hollow grave. 

He was seasonal, 
slipping in and out, 
shedding himself like dust, 
and caught in the stare 

of a wolf's catechism.

Written for Shay’s Word Garden prompt (use at least 3): asleep catechism charming delirium dialect erotic follies French hallucination hyena icicles lazier orchards phantoms playthings season sham solace vagabonds wolf. AI Digital Artwork created using Midjourney. Image and poem ©Misky 2023 Shared on Twitter #amwriting @midjourney