Night of Dread

Night of Dread

“Halloween” night – “descending” “gloom” –
  Lost in a forest of “living” “silhouettes”
Tangled branches obscure the skies
In veils of opaque ebony blackness
As phantoms of thick “dread”
Rise
From “open” crypts of “darkness”
Where “walking” echoes chant elegies of doom
 And set a pounding heartbeat’s panic
  As “creepy” creeping ghostly fingers
  Graze the naked neck
To claw at crushed leaves
 That snap like brittle bones
  Under panicked feet
Looking – 
  Frantic searching - 
For escape from this twisted labyrinth
  Of screaming angst,
   Where prowling wraiths with cold lips of frenzy
    And souls lost to the daylight
Breathe from exile, musty breaths
 In fogs on vanishing paths of vertigo
And torpid lethargy
Until ascendent midnight 
Lifts up this vale of fainting frights with moonlight,
Shadows glinting through bare boughs,
For All Hallows Night.

10-25-22
Contest: Halloween 14-30 Lines  - 27 Lines
Sponsor: Emile Pinet
Use ten words as written: creepy, descending, silhouettes, gloom, darkness, living, open, walking, Halloween, dread.
Chosen words italicized.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2022

Poem

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Proxenos Avatar
November 3, 2022 at 9:06 AM
This poem should be chosen to come first, second and third. It is so powerful the way you used all the words you had to encompass in this write, and you did this so creatively, revealing Halloween as the scary creepy night it is. hope you are well my friend, Hugs and blessings, Jennifer.
Kauffman Avatar
November 3, 2022 at 12:34 PM
Jennifer, dear friend, thank you many times over for your wonderful feedback! Emile's words were a scary Halloween story just waiting to be told! They were truly the gift of inspiration. I do love the eerie, not horrific or gory, side of Halloween. We decorate our front porch with cheesecloth ghosts, lights, a fog machine, Mr. Bones on the bench and a graveyard. The kids and their parents love it and want to take pictures. On a more serious note, Halloween is the time when we laugh at death because we know the victory. Blessings sweet friend! Hope you had a wonderful All Saints and All Souls and that you are healthy!
Messina Avatar
October 30, 2022 at 4:04 AM
This is SO good, Sam. It should also do very well in Emile's contest. Best wishes. Charlie
Kauffman Avatar
November 2, 2022 at 9:49 AM
Thank you so much Charlie! I have my fingers crossed. Emile's words were great! They set the tone for this write and put me on the path of this Halloween tale. It was fun to write this one. Hope you are doing well! Sending you all the blessing treats of the season and positively no tricks!
George Avatar
October 28, 2022 at 8:43 PM
What a fantastic entry for the contest ! There are all the ingredients needed for a ghost story !"In veils of opaque ebony blackness As phantoms of thick “dread” Rise From “open” crypts of “darkness” Where “walking” echoes chant elegies of doom" How can one ever describe a more dreadful night! All the Best in the contest dear Sam. Into my Fave.
Kauffman Avatar
November 2, 2022 at 10:01 AM
Valsa, sending you heartfelt gratitude for your wonderful feedback. I am hoping it will do well. Emile's words were a great jump start as they seemed to create a picture of walking through a dark forest on Halloween night experiencing the creepy and the spooky. So honored by your fave sweet friend! Sending you all the blessings of this amazing season of abundance!
Bueckert Avatar
October 28, 2022 at 3:10 PM
night of dread indeed, nicely worded Sam, very spooky! good luck to you in the contest!
Kauffman Avatar
November 2, 2022 at 9:54 AM
Hi Hat! Thank you so much! I love the "things that go bump in the night" elements of Halloween - spooky and unexplainable. So glad you enjoyed this "haunted" poem. All the best! Blessings!
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