The Premonition

There’s something wrong, for I see it now

Burn brightly in my brain,

A simple spark and a flash of light

That becomes a roaring flame,

It happens just about every night

As I rest my weary head,

And burns my eyes from the insides, when

I’m lying still in bed.

The doctors say it’s a trick of light

At the corner of my eyes,

Perhaps it’s only a lightning flash

That catches, by surprise,

But there’s no light in my darkened room

And the blinds are pulled down tight,

It comes so suddenly, then it goes

Like a spark of some insight.

Could it be something that’s been and gone

Though I’ve blacked the memory out,

Something terrible, that went wrong

And scared me, without doubt?

Could it be something that’s still to come

Said the gypsy in the hall,

While crossing her palm with silver, as

She peered in her crystal ball.

‘It could be a warning from the gods,

It could be a sign of fate,

Some sort of a premonition that

You attended to, too late,

The crystal ball has a fiery glow

In its depths, that I never saw,

And many’s the time I’ve gazed in it

Not seeing such glow before.’

I never would worry Christabel

With my tale of the nightly flame,

I wouldn’t have wanted her to think

There was something wrong with my brain,

So she went and ordered her wedding dress

A vision in silk and lace,

And yards and yards of a satin trail

With net all over her face.

We took our vows in the Baptist church

She’d attended since a child,

Keeping her mother happy, though

In fact, she was meek and mild,

Then later at the reception we

Arrived at the old church hall,

And Christabel was a vision as

She stood by the entrance wall.

There’s no way I could foresee it

Though I later thought that I should,

A guest came in with a cigarette,

I’d have stopped him if I could,

He flicked the butt and a single spark

Flew onto my darling's train,

The silk and satin went up at once

And Christabel was aflame.

The flames went up like a giant torch

And engulfed the yards of net,

There wasn’t time for a single word

If there was, then I forget,

She stood there blackened, her skin peeled off

And she swayed against the wall,

Then slowly toppled to earth before

I reached, to stay her fall.

Now every night there’s a single spark

And a sudden flash of light,

As flames are dancing behind my eyes

In that awful nightmare sight,

The tears that roll down my cheeks are hot

As if roasted in the fire,

They might as well, for I dwell in hell

Since I lost my one desire.

David Lewis Paget

Reviews

[TPK Stories]

Amazing tale as always. Keep writing.

[Coyote Poetry]

A amazing tale written my friend. Great story line and interesting people. The ending was honest and true thoughts shared. Thank you David for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[T.S. Sky]

Brilliant work. Your writings are detailed and takes me to the setting of which it speaks.

[Tony Jordan]

I am determined not to say she was a hot date - I won't say it.
I can relate to this being tortured as I was as a teen once by a vision which made me resolve to never wear a green shirt ever again.
I didn't see this happening - I thought our boy was having or going to have seizures since they are associated with flashes of light.
You steered the dignified side of gory here - as you always do - leaving the reader to visualise the blazing bride. Masterful and very entertaining David.

[Valentine]

This one gave me the chills, the flash of light, the warning, even before the wedding. Another gem my friend. Valentine