I saw a feathered ghost fly past tonight,
White and graceful wings flowing fast tonight.

Fixing a fleeting mouse with radar stare,
Big piercing eyes left us aghast tonight.

Swooping soundlessly between darkened boughs,
Its cold elegance unsurpassed tonight.

With outstretched talons and determined claws,
It plunged, grasping the scared mouse fast tonight.

Hard pressed and crushed, with a shrill, tearful cry,
The desperate mouse breathed its last tonight.

Two foes, one fearful and the other feared,
What a fatal, final contrast tonight!

I thought I’d have a go at a ghazal: https://www.poetryfoundation.org/education/glossary/ghazal. Here’s my first stab, a bit clumsy, but not too bad for a first go. Tricky one to master!
(01.06.25)

© Ben Quant 2025
Photo by Bob Brewer on Unsplash