July 2, 1961

July 2, 1961

What is it that went
bump in the night
But the thunderclap
of a mind gone blank.
Neural connections erased
by a doctor's decree.
What is it that howled
in the dark
but all the dreams deferred
of his blockaded words.
Was it banshees that moaned
over four lines writ down
for a President's inaugural?
What went bump in the night,
the shot in the head,
found in the foyer.
What went bump in the night
but the sound
of a drawer slamming tight.
He put away
all his pencils.


Author's note: Written to mark the death of Ernest Hemmingway.


Prompt Subject: It Goes Bump in the Night (What is it?)
Word(s) to use: pencil(s)
Word(s) not to use: scream(ing,s), scare(d, y), heart, boogie(man), monster(s)
Other requirements/restrictions: at least 15 lines