superstition

he laid
aside
too all
the witches
in the dirt the tracks of
horses hoofs
deeply dented in the true style
of
a barrel and

then receiving
a
casual gleam from the crackling
wood fire and where of course
no spectre dared
to show its face
it
was so vague and faint as

only to experienced dutch housewives

there
was the singing master
of defence parried

a
musketball
with a mixture

of respect and superstition partly out
of sympathy for the purpose
of
instructing the children of the name
of
tarry town

(C) 2026 Shane Cooper

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