Tom Cunningham Poet Rhyme

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Haunted House, Haunted Cemetery Or Haunted Woods. 16 Lines Of Rhyme Poetry Contest. Sponsored by Tania Kitchin. Written Friday 18th October 2024.

Haunted Cemetery

A gale force wind was blowing one cold October night
With a hunter's moon in the sky that was shining so bright
I took a shortcut through the cemetery as I'd often done before
And in ten minutes or so I'd be at home at my front door.

As I neared the cemetery exit, I had one hell of a fright
I saw a tall ghostly figure that was dressed in all white
I was seized with sheer terror and ran as fast as I could
My heart was pounding and my legs felt like wood.

I trembled as I fumbled trying to get the key into the lock 
Never before in my entire life had I had such a shock
I reached for the Jack Daniels and poured myself a stiff drink 
Had I been hallucinating? maybe I needed to see a shrink. 

The next morning as I walked past the exit, I had a surprise
And laughed at what I saw before me, I couldn't believe my eyes
In last night's strong winds, a white sheet had blown onto a tree
And that was the 'ghost' that had scared the hell out of me.

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Terry Flood October 30, 2024 at 4:29 PM Hmmm… I take it it was just the one Jack Daniel’s, Tom. Pie eyed or boggle eyed… a nerve tingling win. Congrats Tom Cunningham October 30, 2024 at 11:41 PM Thanks Terry, moderation is the key, turns out the only spirit I met that night was Gentleman Jack, and boy he tasted good. Tom

Mystic Rose Rose October 28, 2024 at 6:02 PM Loved this entry the first time I read it, I wasn't wrong, congrats on your win Tom Tom Cunningham October 28, 2024 at 9:45 PM Thank you very much Vie, thank you for your congrats and return visit, much appreciated. Hope your week is going well. Tom

Valsa George October 27, 2024 at 10:07 PM Hi Tom, back to your chilling poem to congratulate on your well deserved first place win. Tom Cunningham October 27, 2024 at 11:44 PM Thank you very much for your return visit and congrats Valsa, much appreciated, I hope you have a lovely week ahead. Tom

thriveni c mysore October 27, 2024 at 8:52 PM ah, lovely. congratulations on your win dear poet. cheers. Tom Cunningham October 27, 2024 at 11:45 PM Thank you very much Thriveni I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Tom

Sam Kauffman October 27, 2024 at 11:53 AM Back with congratulations, Tom, for your spooky, bone chilling poem. Still love the humor. Blessings! Over Fork Over! Tom Cunningham October 27, 2024 at 12:13 PM Thank you for your congrats and return visit Sam, I’m happy you enjoyed it a second time. Over Fork Over. Tom.

Kim Rodrigues October 27, 2024 at 11:25 AM Back with congrats, Tom! Tom Cunningham October 27, 2024 at 11:43 AM Thank you very much for your return visit and congrats, much appreciated . Hope your weekend is going well. Tom

Tania Kitchin October 27, 2024 at 7:19 AM Tom, a great scary poem with a great ending. Congratulations on your first place win. Tom Cunningham October 27, 2024 at 8:34 AM Thank you very much Tania, I'm happy you enjoyed it, thanks too for hosting the contest. Hope your weekend is going well. Tom

Charles Messina October 27, 2024 at 5:38 AM You can tell a story with the best of them, Tom. Great haunted write. BOL in the contest. Charlie Tom Cunningham October 27, 2024 at 6:17 AM Thank you very much Charlie, I'm happy you enjoyed it. Tom

Karen Jones October 26, 2024 at 1:58 AM Loved this ghost story! You have a gift and will do well in the contest! Tom Cunningham October 26, 2024 at 2:01 AM Thank you very much for your well wishes Karen, I'm happy you enjoyed it. I hope you have a lovely weekend. Tom

Valsa George October 23, 2024 at 9:39 PM This dramatic twist at the end was never foreseen. This is great.... ! The poem is written in your innate free flowing style with beautiful rhyme. I couldn't help having a wide grin. Light brings the truth out. A great entry for the contest. All the Best dear Tom. Tom Cunningham October 23, 2024 at 10:07 PM Thank you very much Valsa, I'm happy you enjoyed it. Wasn't sure how I'd finish it so went with a twist of humour. Tom

Michael Tor October 23, 2024 at 7:15 PM Sanity in the end Tom. The ending made me smile Tom. I have read too much on darkness and ghost and demons. I could share so much but it is not worth sharing. In my many endeavors of research I made personal discoveries. Researched UFO's for over thirty years. What I discovered Tom I have not shared with many people. Just my brothers and my family and then I couldn't share all of what I knew. I hope it doesn't sound boastful, just being honest. Tom Cunningham October 23, 2024 at 9:14 PM Thank you very much Michael, just a bit of Halloween humour. I agree, why do folks only think it's us and a few animals on this planet, the fact that we actually exist means that anything is possible. Take care. Tom Michael Tor October 23, 2024 at 7:45 PM Tom if people only really knew what was out there in those woods. Not all woods but many many parks and remote areas, all over the world. If interested read 411 missing from David Paulides. He has a series of books where people have come up missing. Witnesses have come forth and have seen paranormal activity as Alien activity to Dogman, Sasquatch etc taking humans. Steve Ishdahl has tens of thousands of people share information relating to these creatures through personal experiences , photos, videos, etc. All on YouTube. Also Tom Carpenter who past away last year. He was a great researcher if interested look at his videos under Tom Carpenter YouTube. There is a Portal realm and dimensions beyond our understandings. Michael Tor October 23, 2024 at 7:37 PM You can actually conjure up spirits or as I call them Demons. They can take the shape of creatures or even believe it or not crafts. While having a camp fire at my brothers one night. It was a clear sky you could see the stars. I said to my brothers and everyone at the party, do you guys want to see a UFO. They seemed shocked but said REALLY MIKE? I just smiled. I said watch and get your cell phones out to record. They had puzzled looks in their eyes. I walked over to the other side of the yard away from the wood fire. Said a few words. Second later Briana screamed we looked up and there was a lighted UFO hovering. They filmed it and ask me how I could do that. I told them I could't share that information for their own safety. There are so many creatures and demons that roam this world. The average person has no clue, because of the cover ups.

Joe Maverick October 23, 2024 at 2:47 PM Lol)) you must have been white as a sheet Tom.' Could have shocked the family when you got Home.) Btw I sense you could make it big As a ghost writer.' Tom Cunningham October 23, 2024 at 3:35 PM Thanks Joe, a ghost writer lol Hope you're keeping well. Tom

Mystic Rose Rose October 23, 2024 at 10:44 AM Glad it was only a white sheet and not the real thing Tom, Halloween can bring out our imagination, and do wild things, glad you had good old J D, with you :) Tom Cunningham October 23, 2024 at 10:58 AM Thank you very much Vie, JD certainly took the edge off lol. Tom

Regina Elliott October 23, 2024 at 7:06 AM Hi Tom, my very best wishes for the contest with this worthy and spooky entry, good work. The haunting image enhances the setting. Have a splendid Wednesday! :) Tom Cunningham October 23, 2024 at 7:21 AM Thank you very much for your good wishes Regina, I'm happy you enjoyed it. Hope you too are keeping well and having a good week. Tom

Daniel Henry Rodgers October 23, 2024 at 4:40 AM Hello Tom, I loved your twisting poem and the outcome. I also loved the picture that goes with it. Amazingly, our imagination gets the best of us at times. I think you have a winner! - Blessings, My Dear Friend, Daniel Tom Cunningham October 23, 2024 at 6:40 AM Thank you very much Daniel, I'm happy you enjoyed the humour. Our imagination can certainly run riot especially if it's dark and we're all alone, and throw a cemetery into the mix for good measure lol. Hope you're keeping well and enjoying the week. Tom

Eileen Manassian October 21, 2024 at 11:23 AM Ha ha! Loved this piece. So well written. My heart was shivering a little.... till that last stanza. Oh I needed this tonight. Great one. Thanks for your visits to my page. :) Tom Cunningham October 21, 2024 at 11:52 AM Thank you very much Eileen, I'm happy you enjoyed it, hope everything is OK. Tom

David Crandall October 20, 2024 at 3:28 PM An entertaining poem Tom. I think taking a shortcut through a cemetery may not be a good idea, but I think Jack Daniels is a good idea. Tom Cunningham October 20, 2024 at 9:46 PM Lol thanks David, I'll drink to that. I'm happy that you enjoyed it Tom

Emilia James October 20, 2024 at 3:16 AM lol, how the mind and our fear tricks us. Enjoyed your scary tale Tom... I would of had a very large stiff drink too after that fright lol. Emilia : ) Tom Cunningham October 20, 2024 at 3:40 AM Thank you very much Emilia so true, a stiff drink certainly takes the edge off lol. Hope your weekend is going well. Tom

Duke Beaufort October 19, 2024 at 3:22 PM Tom, as funny as this is, you have delved into amazing truth. We really only "see" a small fraction of what's there, and our brain fills in the rest. I suppose that's why some people should never see a horror film or read anything scary! Some people have no trouble with it. There are some pretty fantastic displays going up in neighborhoods around here, and I feel sorry for the impressionable ones! Smiles!! Tom Cunningham October 19, 2024 at 10:34 PM Thank you very much Duke, I agree, especially at night when our minds play tricks. My brother was in Las Vegas a couple of years ago and sent me some pics of Halloween displays. That folks had put up, They were amazing. Hope you're keeping well. Tom

Joseph May October 19, 2024 at 12:27 PM Lol, at night many things look ghostly, GL in the Contest Tom Cunningham October 19, 2024 at 1:03 PM Thank you very much Joseph, funny thing if it happened in daylight you wouldn't bat an eyelid lol. Tom

Panagiota Romios October 19, 2024 at 11:19 AM Ah, Tom, this is delightful and frightful. And I would give you first place! The Jack Danilels cracked me up totally.))))) You have the art of story telling, always?stay out of cemetries at night, but,,,do keep Sir Jack Daniels Esq, handy. Best wishes~ Pangie cx Tom Cunningham October 19, 2024 at 11:28 AM Thank you very much Pangie, had it been daytime you wouldn't have given it a second glance. Amazing how your fears multiply in the dark and the mind plays tricks. Glad you enjoyed it. Tom

Kim Rodrigues October 19, 2024 at 7:43 AM Frightening and funny. Often in morning light, things look different. Perhaps “the ghost” placed it there. What’s with people grabbing a stiff drink to chase the ghost away. The spirit in the glass could also enhance the “hallucination. Love this one, Tom! A joy to read, smiling ear to ear. Tom Cunningham October 19, 2024 at 9:03 AM Thank you very much Kim, I'm happy that you enjoyed it. Reminds me of those old movies where someone was having a leg off and they'd pour whiskey on it then have a drink lol. Tom

Sara Kendrick October 19, 2024 at 7:42 AM Great one, Tom. I like the descriptiveness, the emotional pull, rhythm, rhyme and flow plus the surprise ending with a feeling of it all ended well. Thanks for sharing this contest entry with us. It reads like a good contender to me. Way to go. Sara K Tom Cunningham October 19, 2024 at 9:00 AM Thank you very much Sara, I'm pleased that you enjoyed the story, you cant go wrong with a bit of humour. Tom

Mike Gentile October 19, 2024 at 5:38 AM Tom, I can really see that happening! Our imaginations are really more scary than anything it seems. Your story is crafted so well and was so fun to read! Good luck in the contest!!! Tom Cunningham October 19, 2024 at 5:45 AM Thank you very much Mike, especially if one has had a few drinks lol. Wasn't sure how I'd end it but went for a touch of humour. Hope your weekend is going well. Tom

Maria Williams October 19, 2024 at 5:20 AM What a great story Tom. The build-up of tension, from the eerie setting of a cemetery on a windy October night to the sudden appearance of the "ghost," was wonderfully done. The twist at the end, where the terrifying figure turns out to be nothing more than a white sheet, adds a light-hearted and humorous touch, making it both spooky and playful. You captured the feeling of a classic ghost tale but gave it a modern, relatable twist. Definitely a fun read!...Hugs Tom Cunningham October 19, 2024 at 5:35 AM Thank you Maria, it's funny how your mind plays tricks especially in the dead of night. Not sure I'd take a short cut through a cemetery at night though, Lol Hope you're having a lovely weekend. Tom

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