{Christmas Feature/Exclusive Fiction (A Poem)} Christmas Claws: Dan Soule

Christmas Claws

A Poem By Daniel Soule

Originally published on Kendall Reviews December 2018.

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 doorknob 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

A writer of stories for grown ups & kids. Editor in Chief at @storgykids w/ @Ross1982. Paying bills as a research writing trainer in the UK, Ireland and Norway.

You can follow Daniel on Twitter @Grammatologer

You can find out more about Daniel by visiting his official website www.dansoule.com

In Tooth And Claw

If dreams come true, then so do nightmares. Especially when demons hide – and devour – in plain sight, or the wrong psychopath is recruited for their dream job.

When a telephone rings for a forgotten boy in an old red telephone box, or when the sinister origin of a curse is locked within a children’s nursery rhyme, then the horror will follow you darkly into your dreams. And it will still be there when you wake.

You can buy In Tooth And Claw from Amazon UK Amazon US

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.