Once a year dies the sun
at the church on the hill
when the mist shroud’s just right
and the birds become still.
When the bell rings unbid
lest we ever forget
that we acted as one —
once a year dies the sun.
They were born in a drought;
mother died giving birth.
Preacher said they were cursed
at the church on the hill.
They were raised by a witch
at our beckon she came,
under dead moonless sky
and the mist shroud just right.
There they stood on the steps
(They had just turned eighteen.)
the first year the sun died
and the birds became still.
Today’s offering is in the cascade form.
Shay and Carrie, aka The Gemini Girls, are hosting this week’s The Sunday Muse.
Tao Talk 
A cascade of emotion is what your poem produced, Lisa. Cheers.
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Thank you very much, Helen.
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I suspect that they’re capable of things that are much worse. Guess we should be glad that it’s just once a year. A very chilling take, Jade
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You are exactly right, Shweta. Thank you for “getting” it.
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Always a pleasure.
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Interesting how you portrayed them, could be evil or just maligned
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Sadje, I think the guilt of the village has conjured them up. They don’t seem to do much more than show up and remind the villagers of their wrongdoing…
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Intriguing story Li.
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Ms lili, I am glad the sun decided to wait until the girls turned eighteen. Do you think the girls had anything to to that? Or was the son their long awaited eighteen? This to me is a nice story, very well written.
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I’m glad I got your wonderings activated. Maybe we’ll never know…. Thank you, Jim.
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you’re such a good storyteller, Lisa ❤
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Thank you, David.
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This has the makings of a fine ghost story!
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Thank you, Ingrid 🙂
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I have never heard of this verse form before. I love what you did with it. Got chills toward the end.
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Anne, the cascade form is great for “weaving spells” as the waves pull the reader in. Shadow poetry website has a wealth of different forms if you are interested. Thank you for your comment and glad you enjoyed the story.
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A walk on the dark side! Well told.
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Thank you, Beverly. When I’m given “bait” like that, how can I resist going dark? Of course I could have chosen the other image also…
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A haunting and lovely poetic tale Lisa! It leaves me wanting to know more of what is to come for them.
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Thank you, Carrie. I *love* that image it is danged scary!
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Ominous. Twins have inspired a lot of myths, both good and bad. Of course that was before fertility drugs…(k)
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Now the myths will have to expand to fit them!
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I’m sure someone has written about it somewhere…
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That goes with the picture wonderfully… I would stop and go the other way if I saw them standing there.
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ME TOO, MAX! This is a danged scary picture.
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This is really good stuff. Nice and dark.
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J, thank you very much. I usually write the darker stuff in winter but that image made it easy.
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Oh this is delightfully dark. I love visiting my dark side and you do it delightfully.
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Susie thank you very much. I like to visit mine also from time to time and glad you enjoyed this one.
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