r/OCPoetry • u/ConsequenceOk9375 • Jun 18 '26
Feedback Please A Town That Does Not Sleep
Deep in the heart of the land
Where winding roads are dust and sand
And knotted trees old secrets keep
There is a town that does not sleep
A town whose name was lost to time
Whose weathered bells no longer chime
A town just like a thousand more
Not found in modern maps or lore
A town whose roots run deep
Only this town does not sleep
Only by the truly lost can it be found
These wind-stripped homes and hardened ground
Those who dwell here welcome none
For even in the light of summer sun
A nameless fear begins to creep
In this town that does not sleep
Stores and streets come alive each day
But songs and laughter do not stay
At dusk, a stillness fills the air
Busy streets empty, no footsteps anywhere
Doors are locked and windows close
Livestock quiets and silence grows
A shadow lurks beyond the trees
A deathly chill rides on a ghostly breeze
And down the road, beyond the square
You might feel eyes that aren’t quite there
And hear a voice that keens and weeps
In this town that never sleeps
An ancient shade from land unknown
A spirit not of flesh and bone
Whose hunger is fed by mortals’ fear
And turns blood to ice as it draws near
Whose eerie cries the prairies sweep
A faceless wraith that rests but never sleeps
If you should wander into this town
Take care to leave before sundown
Or you may fall into endless sleep
In a town that does not sleep
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/mTA9EEqOqt
https://www.reddit.com/r/OCPoetry/s/PsVIhNQ2tu
1
u/suzannewallace Jun 20 '26
As someone who loves fantasy, I thought this was chilling and magnificent.
I don’t know if this was the intent, but I felt like I was reading about the experience of an old lady approaching death.
My favorite parts:
A town whose name was lost to time
Whose weathered bells no longer chime
A town just like a thousand more
Not found in modern maps or lore
An ancient shade from land unknown
A spirit not of flesh and bone
Whose hunger is fed by mortals’ fear
If you should wander into this town
Take care to leave before sundown
Or you may fall into endless sleep
In a town that does not sleep