Shared with dVerse Poetics – headless horseman. I learned a little about Irish folklore while writing this.
Ride Of The Dullahan – 16th October 2025
“Everything that needs to be said has already been said. But, since no one was listening, everything must be said again.” – Andre Gide
1994ever 
The texture of mouldy cheese… makes it sound even worse than the rotting flesh.
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Thankfully, I only have experience with the cheese!
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I enjoyed your ride of the Dullahan, Shaun, with its ‘stallion carved of midnight’ and grinning lantern with ‘the texture of mouldy cheese’.
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Cheers Kim 🙏
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You’re welcome, Shaun.
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Great write Shaun, yes this Irish headless horseman – harbinger of death – I like the last line, as holding on to gold is suppose to protect you – fingers crossed 😊
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Thank you. 🙏
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I wondered if anyone would write of the dullahan!
I like the imagery:
“on a stallion carved of midnight,
its four falling anvils
spark cold dread from cobblestones”
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Thank you 🙏
I’d not heard of this piece of specific folklore before. I liked the way that in older times, people used this story for unexplained deaths.
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You’re welcome!
It’s funny how common forms of the legend are.
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Wow, I really enjoyed this Irish tale. It’s wonderful to read tales from different places.
the pallor of the moon
that stains a long-forgotten tomb
eerie…
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Thank you 🙏
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“in search of final harvests”
Indeed. Such a spooky aspect of autumn.
Loved the visual of these lines:
the pallor of the moonthat stains a long-forgotten tomb
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It describes exactly a colour and feeling that I can associate with youthful times spent exploring the grounds around churches on a clear October night. It’s very English to me.
In Australia, the light on the gravestones was a little different, somehow less spooky.
NB. I don’t and didn’t often spend my time doing things like this! Haha!
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I love the description of the lantern’s light! The texture of mouldy cheese for light is crazy!
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Interesting! That is crazy and I’m imagining it now and it’s making me chuckle.
My thought when writing is that the lantern is his head – the Dullahan carries his head in one hand and a spine as a whip in the other.
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Do that!!! I love it!
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I did not know this folklore character ~ Thanks for the introduction, but I don’t think I’ll be shaking his hand any time soon. I really enjoyed your poem, Shaun!
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Thanks Helen 🙏
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