Dark dreams, black silk
woven from shadows 
and born of fire,
soon to be caressed 
by the words 
of a lonely martyr.
Kneel within the ashes 
of a crime gone by,
and in silence pray,
as you listen to 
Jeanne d' Arc cry. 

Alan O’Brien is a retired construction manager and lives in London, England. He enjoys writing dark poetry and flash fiction. This is his first published poem and he hopes more will follow.