A Glowing Goal

Author's note: Yes, this is inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's "Nevermore"; it is an homage to the author. There's no crow, though.

Here is a Man, no longer struttin',

The woods await, the silence cuttin',

A tree takes light, a sign of glutton,

But he starves for a different sight.

Solstice arrived, his children screamin'

Against a sun that once was beamin'

As both arose from an ocean streamin'

Oblivious to mortal human might.

A Kin to Sun, Man keeps here shinin'

While facing Solstice daughter's whinin'.

She cuts forth like axes meant for minin'

Yet Man stands unbreaking as quartz.

Then crawling up came Solstice's sons,

Sending plants and animals to runs,

Expecting to shake this Man to crumbs

As they conquer upon their course.

Dry wood now, a resource rarely

Found outside in woods so scary

For one Man now charged to carry

A simple task of daily survive.

Kin to sun, his friend now blarin'

With wood from man now sharin'

From inside a forest no longer carin'

As darkness starts to come alive.

For Man, as victim of Solstice's rile,

Combating sons and daughters vile,

Praying against the sky's own bile

While keeping his only friend aglow.

A ring of stone, a magical tool

Containing elements, both hot and cool,

Extreme of either will hurt the fool

But the benefit in wise will show.

His friend is now come down to bend

With every pass Solstice's daughters send

And his sons unto his roots shall rend

To make his existence cease.

But dare he, Man, dear friend now rivals

Against the children of Solstice and stifles

Attempts to butcher his friend and piles

Gifts of the gather, to power increase.

"Kin of Sun," the Man sings acoustic,

"I perceive your condition, you are sick,

Here is your medicine, altruistic,

Will you still refuse upon this tour?"

"Many times, this foe of Solstice

With his children, we come to risk,

Now, friend, will thou not come persist?"

At this, the Kin of Sun would roar.

The daughters scream and move faster

As the sons withdraw from spellcaster,

Behelden to enemy of their Master,

Now towering as a burning tree.

The man, expressing gracious thanks

Laughs aloud amongst wooden banks

Where he previously grouped up dry planks

To resurrect Solstice's enemy.

But Solstice, still, would not traverse

To different realms and left to curse,

Instead, his fight he'd reimmerse

His close friend, so formidable.

An ally that followed his frozen heart,

Magnanimous upon a power chart,

With a reach between both end and start

And making home tormentable.

This ally was surrendered every day,

Swimming as shadow with each tree sway,

Counting down seconds to come what may,

Remembering once his constant reign.

Woe to Sun, as horizon's swallow,

The last lit arm in view would wallow,

A painted blanket set forth shall follow,

In absence announced with silent clang.

This former monarch will serve his friend,

Casting with fingers he shall now send

To Man and Kin, with latter shall end

And leave only the substance half-eaten.

Trees no longer carry their reflection

And Man senses familiar transgression

Of newcomer usurping all protection

With targets to soon be all-beaten.

"Who comes as one that came before,

Driving into home, office, shack, and store,

Now into forest to just cover more

To lay ground for his appointed king?"

This the Man asked in mocking tone,

Knowing that act could leave him prone

With friend reduced to wood and stone,

What more could this Man bring?

A hand would slip into his pouch on coat,

An old thing made from fur of goat.

Once more, Man would smile in gloat,

Knowing this war was not over.

Former emperor's own hand descends

To pierce the air, calm it pretends

Approaching Kin, the dark defends

The children left to wait and hover.

In shadows, one will never find

What stands in front or could be behind.

The work of Man must cut and grind

In staving off this unseen tyrant.

Clutching around the heart, its greed

Wrings out the grind for cold to feed

Leaving tears to fall upon dead seed,

An idea that Man will now recant.

The useful Earth, admired Creation

Yields abundance in every station,

Temporary drought brings inflation

But alcohol robs water faster.

Such a drink, one will embrace

A final bird flown in the face

Of Solstice as Man loses his place

Yet pulls he and means of plaster.

The glint of crystal from light of Kin,

Halts the advancing tyrant's sin,

A prelude to use of what's within

To keep both friends warm and true.

The top is popped, replaced with lips

Numbness with result with these sips

Before Man released with hand and hips,

A hard throw into a lack of flue.

Kin of Sun started out exhumed

With wood wealth he soon consumed,

Now broken drink leaves him a-fumed

And announces with flustered gasp.

Dark tyrant, on destructive path

Affirming action along cold wrath

Now flees afar from warm psychopath

Held back only by stone's grasp.

The liquid is gone, the bark is eaten

The Man still stands, the dark is beaten,

Solstice is left as an icy cretin

And his children now fall quiet.

This mortal Man, their easy prey

Was once targeted for slow dismay,

Now chuckles as he just got away

Where others would have fallen.

The ground held by sons, now dry and hot

Serves as bed for the Man and not

For ideal conquest, now left to rot

Until the night again comes callin'.

Lying down, the Man reflects

Upon Solstice plans now in wrecks,

And ash from Kin comes out in flecks

Not even the daughters want.

The Man again, his smile curves

At thought of touching frozen nerves,

The scythe of Death swung and swerves

To find another life to sunder.

More drink would come, he assured

From road allies, they give their word.

Lines of survival no longer blurred,

What value is monetary plunder?

Out here, with the land in store

Would swallow up both rich and poor,

Save for those who make it a chore

To make friends with Kin of Sun.

Lest a dark tyrant with Solstice boss

Coming all days, all lands across

Between the stars and clouds and moss

Lays claim to lifeform's final run.