Christmas Claws
Daniel Soule
The child slept and mum and dad snored,
While Sparky cowered behind the living room door.
When down the chimney came old Nick Claws,
Crushing some coal under his paws
The Yule log was burning to keep him out
Fire against the monster of night’s doubt
But the flame is stifled, all light has gone
No protection is left against what is wrong.
Old Nick Claws stands in front of their stockings
The face of a wretch with a smile that is mocking
His cloak is all dirty and bloody and red
On his back is a sack filled with souls of the dead
Poor Sparky is whimpering and himself he has peed
Wishing the monster on the stairs would just leave
But he doesn’t, he climbs, one step at a time
In the witching hour of the carriage clock’s chime.
The family won’t stir, not even at all
Deep in the slumber, not aware of the pawl
Awaiting if they should fail to wake
Because old Nick Claws their souls he will take.
A talon so sharp grasps the door knob and turns
In the little one’s dream the Yule log flares and it burns
She senses the danger, she must try to wake
For if she does not her life he will take.
The child comes to with a blood curdling scream
Thank goodness it was all just a Christmas Eve dream.
Daniel Soule
Dan was once a university lecturer, and even wrote a PhD about the language of nationalism in Scottish politics. He also co-wrote a book about it. But the sentences proved too long and the words too obscure. Northern Ireland is where he now lives. But Dan was born in England and raised in Byron’s home town, which the bard hated but Dan does not. They named every other road after Byron. As yet no roads are named after Dan but several children are. Dan tries to write the kind of stories he wants to read, which means a mix of literary fiction, horror and fantasy, with an occasional pinch of science fiction. Dan’s stories have featured in the Incubator, Storgy, the Dime Show Review, Short Tale 100, Phantaxis and the horror magazine Devolution Z.
You can find out more about Daniel by visiting his official website www.grammatology.co.uk/
Follow Daniel on Twitter @Grammatologer
A lovely twist on an old tale.
Fun and very twisted.