Banshee

Fairy maid or fairy crone,
woman of the mound,
you may hear her lamenting song

or in the night
a keening cry, a howl, a shriek, a wail.

Dogs will whimper and bark,
soldiers flee from battle spots,

and you will feel an icy spike
centered in your heart,
sharpen than any surgeon’s scalpel
as it cuts–

and you’ll wonder if this is a harbinger
of what will be,
or explanation of what was.

Paul Brookes is hosting a month-long ekphrastic challenge using folklore images to celebrate the launch of his new poetry collection, “As Folktaleteller.” You can see the images here and also read the other responses.