Fall leaves crackling.
A large bonfire is raging.
Heat emanates forth.
The night air is crisp.
Autumn apples are bobbed for.
Harder than it looks.
Harvest moon alight,
Magic fills the nighttime sky.
Feel the nostalgia.
Darkness is a hug;
Yet the fiery flames singe
It off like a bug.
The autumn air chills the bone.
The wind makes for ghostly moans.
In the stark darkness came a change.
Sunlight cracked o’er the thin skyline—
The night’s reversal rather strange—
Not the way things used to arrange.
The backwards motion not divine—
In the stark darkness came a change—
Like life and death made an exchange,
And stars in the cosmos malign.
The night’s reversal rather strange—
When did the cosmic mind derange?—
Have we become so weak—supine?—
In the stark darkness came the change.
The light scorches like a stove range,
It burns, blisters, but does not shine—
The night’s reversal more than strange—
Like a fire razing a grange,
My blood steams like a boiling wine—
In the stark darkness came the change,
The night’s reversal—death so strange.
© 2025 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
First published on tristanrobertlange.com, October 1, 2025.
Tittu
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Author:
Tristan Robert Lange (
Offline) - Published: October 1st, 2025 06:55
- Comment from author about the poem: Written in my original form, the Chameleon Cantos—first invented in response to a previous Sparkle City Magic (Medium.com) challenge—this poem is my response to Mystical Adventure ~ Edition #24. I chose to use all five prompts: bonfire, autumn, nostalgia, hug, and change.
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 10
- Users favorite of this poem: Friendship, Cheeky Missy
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Comments5
This seems appropriate for the season and sets the tone with darkness. A wonderful set of images unfolds the drama and the metaphor of death and darkness that is not a fear but a change and one that is strange. Nicely done
Soren, I really appreciate how you read into this. You caught the tone I was weaving...darkness, change, the strangeness beneath it all. Always grateful for your time and thoughts, my friend. 🍂🔥🌒🌀
Always most welcome Tristan
Well written, your poem explores the transition between life and death, as well as the cyclical nature of seasons, particularly autumn. It juxtaposes the warmth of autumn festivities with the chilling onset of winter, symbolizing change and the inevitable passage of time. The imagery of light and darkness reflects an internal struggle between nostalgia for what was and the acceptance of change, suggesting a complex relationship with mortality.
Friend, I’m grateful for this reading. You named the interplay of seasons, mortality, and nostalgia so clearly. Really glad the poem delivered and you were able to see the complexity in it. 🍂🔥🌒🌀
Your poem really captures that eerie shift from the comfort of autumn rituals into something cosmic and unsettling. I love how the bonfires and harvest moon lull us into nostalgia, only for the “reversal” to twist the night into something apocalyptic. It feels like a meditation on how quickly the familiar can turn strange, and how fragile our sense of order really is. 🕊️🙏🏻
Arqios, I really value your reading. That eerie shift from autumn ritual into cosmic reversal is the heartbeat of the piece, and you put it into words beautifully. Always grateful, my friend. 🍂🔥🌒🌀 Truly glad the poem delivered!!!
And sometimes I do miss out completely in a totally other playing field 😂 I too am glad. It's always a joy when a poem delivers. But sometimes i suspect the reading is just as likely to be flawed or even more so, 🕊️🙏
LOL! Fair enough. Not the case here, my friend! You nailed it!
Hmm. You've got me. I remain in a mental fog, unable to extricate myself from the romantic ambiance cozening me with piquant scents to steal me off in ecstasy, despite your warning of some eerie alterations. Terrible, I realize. Excellently rendered with gorgeous imagery and a haunting poignancy. Thank you for sharing.
Cheeky Missy, good to see you back, my friend. Missed you! Yay! I appreciate your kind words and presence here, my friend. 🍂🔥🌒🌀
Up top there the term 'tone' is examined, and for me that very much sums it up. Somehow a flash of something like synesthesia occurred and I felt it as a piece of carefully composed music.....
Dave, I love that this struck you musically. That’s a beautiful way of describing how the piece moved, and I’m grateful for your words, my friend. 🍂🔥🌒🌀
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