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Asylum Ghost Haunting Me

"When pain, rage and screams buried in the asylum of your heart start to poison your heart slowly and surreptitiously, you become a living ghost."    - Anne Winter




Last night I had a dream, I was a ghost in an asylum, So many unheard screams, Intelligence turned into something dumb and numb. I looked at me, Her hair frizzy and frazzled, The ghost looked back at me, My hair, soft like silk and dazzled. My eyes, brimming full of life, Her hollowness of face, Her eyes dry like a dull knife, Just like my hollow heart days. “What did you do”she screamed, Glass shattered and clattered at my feet, Her crumpled ghastly face, tears gleamed, My lips sealed, my heart scared to beat. Should I tell her it's not her fault, But my throat is closed and tight, “It is”said the tears soaked in salt, My eyes shrilled “Look for the light”. She was about to throw glass shards at me, I woke up before she could do it, I apologise I couldn't set her free, My room and bones, dimly lit. Taste of my tears opened my eyes, Self neglected, broken one always dies, Fair or unfair, It was just a nightmare. I couldn't understand her, I'm not that deep, Maybe Sylvia could understand the girl in my sleep, All I could do was weep, I couldn't fill the gaps so steep. The ghost left me howling “I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry”, My heart sinking and drowning, Her eyes, dull and starry.

Copyright © | Year Posted 2025




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Date: 8/14/2025 11:15:00 PM
Anne, this is haunting and beautifully raw. The dreamlike imagery and the emotional push-pull between you and the ghost self really struck me. It feels like a deeply personal conversation between past pain and present self—powerful and moving.
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/20/2025 10:10:00 PM
Thank you so much for reading with this depth, dear friend. I appreciate you :)
Date: 8/9/2025 1:24:00 PM
Oh my - what a nightmare! Fascinating - I wonder what it means?
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/9/2025 9:53:00 PM
Dear David, it's conversation between me and my past self when I was really depressed. Thank you for stopping by and reading my poem. Best, Anne
Date: 8/6/2025 12:50:00 PM
Ugh! I have weird dreams all the time. I try to forget them rather than try to decipher. Your poem was frightening, mysterious. Hope it's just fiction Annie
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/9/2025 9:57:00 PM
:)
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Tom Woody
Date: 8/7/2025 9:40:00 AM
No more horror movies for you!
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/7/2025 5:32:00 AM
Sadly, it was not fiction. The nightmare kept me awake for three days :(
Date: 8/6/2025 5:08:00 AM
Identity, internal conflict, and the eerie quality of regret and guilt are all explored in your superb work, Anne. Your experiences with a spectral representation of your emotional suffering and previous hardships. A struggle with phobias and unresolved issues is reflected in the interaction between you and the ghost.
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/7/2025 5:33:00 AM
Thank you so much dear S P, I appreciate you so much for stopping by and reading my poem :)
Date: 8/5/2025 5:00:00 PM
A living ghost trolling alongside most thrilling. This stirred my emotions. You are brilliant Anne, even if Sylvia had all the answers, and she may be a good read, but I've learned that the best thing when in lowest of moods, is to stay away from her confessional poetry. She's no dumb cookie either, a 160 IQ, ! This is amazing poetry!
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/5/2025 10:16:00 PM
Dear Anaya, thank you for writing such an uplifting and empathetic note. I truly appreciate you. I read some of her poem that resonate with me during my low times to feel less lonely in my sadness. I appreciate your lovely notes so much. Love, Anne
Date: 8/5/2025 2:38:00 AM
- Oh my god ... after such a dream there's always the thought in the back of your mind that makes you wonder ... real or not - An exciting poem vividly written, Anne :) - hugs
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/5/2025 10:14:00 PM
Dear Anne-Lise, thank you so much for stopping by and reading my poem. I still think about that nightmare but also I'm just focusing on self-care. Best, Anne
Date: 8/4/2025 1:35:00 AM
Guess you toy with real emotions. A dream? Reality? I dare not guess. Then the imagery is so real. Perfect poem. Hope all is fiction. Splendid poem.
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/5/2025 10:13:00 PM
Dear Victor, thank you so much for stopping by and reading my poem. Unfortunately it is not fiction. I've been struggling with nightmares. Best, Anne
Date: 8/3/2025 10:30:00 AM
Wow how frightening Anne….l bet that dream stayed with you a while in your awake hours! Dreams as scary as that leave me with an uneasy feeling for a while after l wake up! I really felt this poem Anne….now lm scared to go to sleep!! Ha…..Debx
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/5/2025 10:12:00 PM
Dear Deb, yes that dream haunted me in the daylight. I've been struggling to forget. It takes time but I know I'll be alright. Heart takes time to heal. Thank you for stopping by and reading my poem. Best, Anne
Date: 8/3/2025 3:47:00 AM
Pretty intense stuff, Anne. Certainly leaves an impression! :) john
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/5/2025 10:10:00 PM
Thank you so much, Dear John :)
Date: 8/2/2025 5:14:00 PM
I appreciate your vulnerability, Anne. Your poem is surreal but felt real at the same time. Sometimes my dreams are so compelling and expose some of my greatest fears and longings. Faving, hugs Sara
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/5/2025 10:10:00 PM
Dear Sara, thank you for reading my poem with such empathy, I'm so grateful for your lovely note! Love, Anne
Date: 8/2/2025 4:19:00 PM
Dearest Anne, such an intimate journey through the shadowed corridors of your heart. It brought me to the same bittersweet longing as in Gordon Lightfoot’s “If You Could Read My Mind” same tender confession of carrying unseen burdens, grappling with memories and emotions that haunt us like a ghost. O’ the fragile tension between holding on and letting go, between self-blame and the hope for grace with such raw honesty it drew me into your dreamscape and your heart. Ghosts are not our enemies, but parts of ourselves just begging for compassion and healing. Anne, you have great courage in revealing such vulnerability and great beauty in the truth you’ve laid bare. Blessings, My Dear Anne, Daniel
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/5/2025 10:09:00 PM
Dearest Daniel, I'm so grateful that you always understand the depth of my poems. You always read the heart of my poems. I truly truly truly appreciate you so much! The way you admire the beauty of vulnerability is so deeply touching. Thank you for always being so understanding! With love and respect always, Anne
Date: 8/2/2025 2:20:00 PM
Oh, my gosh, goodness & otherness, this is brilliant. I just went through this while awake; looking at pics of my life before I knew how it would unfold at an age that I know how it did unfold (mostly), caused me to apologize to my younger self & cry. Excellent lines add up to a stellar, hard hitting and relatable poem. Going into my favs which means I'm probably setting myself up for a future cry, but I MUST have this. Poetry hugs ... CayCay
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Anne Winter
Date: 8/5/2025 9:54:00 PM
Dear CayCay, we should always take time to apologise to our younger selves for letting them down. We should get it off our chest to feel lighter. To breathe again. I'm glad this poem resonated with you. I've been struggling with nightmares but I know I'll be alright. Love, Anne

Book: Reflection on the Important Things