“NIGHTSTALKER” is a dark mythic narrative poem that fuses gothic horror, apocalyptic prophecy, and folk-ballad cadence into the portrait of an almost supernatural avenger. The tone is relentless, severe, and judgmental, driven by a voice that feels both biblical and cinematic, as though recounting the legend of an unstoppable hunter sent to punish corruption and evil. The poem’s strongest quality is its sustained momentum. The imagery is vivid and forceful throughout, creating a world steeped in violence, judgment, and religious symbolism. The poem also succeeds in balancing archetypal grandeur with accessible diction, making the central figure feel both legendary and immediate. Particularly effective is the moral ambiguity surrounding the character: though positioned as a destroyer of wickedness, his total lack of mercy gives the poem an unsettling edge. Written for the “A Shattered Cup of Doom” novella, this poem appears in the “Third Shards of Broken Glass” chapbook.
“NIGHTSTALKER”
the nightstalker feeds
on death and on sin
the wealth of the devil
means nothing to him
he reads from a scroll
of murder and lies
and abominable objects
that men idolize
the nightstalker sees
through the ancient of days
and he tracks like a wolf
onto blood and decay
the light he draws down
is a fistful of sun
silver-eyed certain
he knows what you’ve done
the nightstalker wastes not
and works all alone
and he tramples on demons
with boots hewn from stone
each footstep a hammer
brought down on a nail
the men bow in shame
and the womenfolk wail
the nightstalker prowls
with an ear to the ground
there’s no sinner silent,
and no innocence found
there will be no doubt,
no pity or remorse
there will be no mercy,
there will be no recourse
the nightstalker creed,
destroy the destroyer
falling like hailstones
on down to gomorrah
so waste not your breath,
he hears not excuses
the dead one’s are clever,
insane, and elusive
the nightstalker feeds
on death and on sin
and the cries of the wicked
mean nothing to him
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