From The Lab

"In the flickering shadows"

In the flickering shadows
A council of apparitions sit
In a semi-circle around a growing blaze,
Disappearing and reappearing
Within the warm copper glow.
Ghosting their ghastly way,
In chores, routines, destiny.
I do not believe they have spotted me.
(If they cared to notice at all.)
Either way, I'll keep my presence
To myself. For some reason the land won't keep still,
Morphing; eternally shifting into
Some reason. Evolving, the cliffs become
Valleys become
Desert sand dunes become...
It's better not to watch.
A large dog, possibly a Newfoundland,
Ignores me and growls at the council.
To this day I believe the dog to be real,
Animals have heightened senses after all.
The misty figures seemed not to care,
Which angered the terrified creature,
But did not bother the dog,
Who had no apparent issue with the devilish
Landscape; a horizon consistently shimmering
In the distance, behind phantom smoke and mirage flame.