EA CARPE NOCTIS (“They Seize the Night”), by Frank Coffman
120 Words
EA CARPE NOCTIS (“They Seize the Night”), by Frank Coffman“Listen to them! Children of the Night. What music they make!”
—Bela Lugosi in DRACULA
There are dread things enamored of the Night
That shun the sunlight and the Realms of Day:
Beings that are quite terrible and fey,
A host of creatures—every evil wight
Our nightmares tell of—things our legends cite,
Things not like us, most not of human clay.
They roam the Zones of Dark—view us as prey!
And they are Legion, variously hight:
Vampires and Were-things; Demons of all kinds;
Revenants and Ghosts; Warlocks, Witches, Ghouls;
The Eldritch Old Ones—and the Old Ones’ Spawn—
Horrors that would make our bravest lose their minds!
This terror-dealing host the Black Hours rules!…
…Survive until Day—and cherish every Dawn.
- Writer
