Susan Ashley Poet Rhyme

Phantasmagoria

Assaulting me!  The darkness comes to be
    in devil’s guise. Phantom haunts my mind;
  in sleep paralysis I cannot flee -
insanity bleeding through ruined rind.

I’m humbled now and at your merciless
  whims and words afflicting by your whipping
    cruelty I’d endured and what of this -
      stranglehold of fear that is so gripping.

      The trauma it inflicts does overwhelm
    in present as it did in madness past,
  as Hypnos slips me blackened nightmare’s realm
my sanity becomes a lone outcast.

Stalking specter and there’s no protections,
  I’m the victim with my mind in confines,
    house of mirrors broken your reflections;
      antagonistic mania still shines.

      My life with you; you’re still inside my head,
    though self-destruction chose as your fare-well.
  Subconsciously you infiltrate with dread
as incubus revenge becomes my Hell.


Susan Ashley
September 23, 2018


*Hypnos: the ancient Greek god of sleep*

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Andrea Dietrich December 3, 2020 at 1:21 PM at last, I found one I have not read yet!! You are such a wordsmith, Susan. So well written. I think this was a topic in someone's recent contest. You wrote this two years earlier! Susan Ashley December 4, 2020 at 6:42 PM Thank you, Andrea. I relish your generous comments. They are so uplifting. I think there was a contest recently with this theme but I missed it.. I'm so pleased you enjoyed my poem, Andrea. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan

David William Breidenthal December 11, 2018 at 5:50 AM Awesome and brilliant poem :) very cool work of art Susan Ashley December 11, 2018 at 6:33 PM J.W., your gracious visit brings me a smile and your wonderful and uplifting comments warm my heart. Thank you for your inspiring presence here. Warmest wishes always.. ~Susan

M. L. Kiser October 16, 2018 at 4:29 PM Terrifying but a great pen! Well done. Susan Ashley October 17, 2018 at 1:47 PM I relish your wonderful comments as well as your visit. Thank you, M.L., your time spent with my poetry is truly appreciated. Warmest wishes .. ~Susan

Vladislav Raven October 8, 2018 at 9:51 AM Hi Susan, I have to say that this excellent write gave me the chills. The words struck home like knives, painting such a strong, dark, cryptic group of images in the mind. This is such wonderful, dark poetry. I love it. I love the content. This one has to be a fave. Have a wonderful Monday. Hugs....Mike. XX Susan Ashley October 8, 2018 at 1:09 PM Dear Mike, it pleases me to know that my poem was able to get under your skin and give you chills.. your visceral response was one that I was hoping my dark verses would produce. Thank you for sharing your heartfelt response with me and for the fave.. your comments are cherished. Warmest wishes my wonderful friend.. ~Susan

Lindsay Laurie October 4, 2018 at 11:02 PM G'day Susan … enough to frighten the dickens out of a nightmare. I needed to read your poem to gain its full impact, and its not a bedtime story for children - thank you Susan - Lindsay Susan Ashley October 6, 2018 at 9:42 AM Indeed, Lindsay. The idea of this scares the dickens out of me as well.. Thank you for your meaningful comments, your emotional response was the kind that I was trying to provoke with the imagery in this poem. I relish your wonderful visit. Warmest wishes always.. ~Susan

Paul Callus September 30, 2018 at 3:40 PM The title was enough to send shivers up my spine, Susan...the content tripled that! I would say this is more scary than what the sponsor was hoping for! That 'stranglehold of fear' would haunt me for ever. Great phrasing. ~ warm regards & hugs my friend. // paul Susan Ashley October 1, 2018 at 9:46 AM Oh I am so glad that my poem was able to get under your skin and send shivers up your spine, Paul.. your visceral response was one that I was hoping my verses would produce and to know that this was a spine-tingling experience for you just thrills me :)) Thank you for sharing your awesome comments and reaction with me.. Warmest wishes and hugs my wonderful friend.. ~Susan

Faraz Ajmal September 29, 2018 at 7:16 AM Ooh, this is a really fascinating poem, I really love the vocabulary you have put in this poem,it simply makes it a joy to read, I wish you best of luck in the contest, good luck and have a really nice day Susan Ashley September 29, 2018 at 9:38 AM Thank you, Faraz, for sharing your uplifting and heartwarming comments with me. I'm so pleased that you enjoyed my poem, dear poet. Your wonderful thoughts and warm wishes are truly appreciated, my friend.. ~Susan

Roy Pett September 28, 2018 at 6:04 AM absolutely fascinating Susan, I thoroughly enjoyed reading your imaginative piece, love the way you have portrayed the scary way that the human mind can affect an individual at any time, which any of us can experience at any time, good luck in contest my dear friend. :)) Susan Ashley September 28, 2018 at 10:29 AM Thank you Roy, for your uplifting encouragement and lovely support. Your comments are both meaningful and insightful and I hold them in my truest appreciation. I'm so pleased you enjoyed my poem, my dear and wonderful friend. Warmest wishes always to you.. ~Susan

Winged Warrior September 25, 2018 at 1:58 PM That's my gal...my beautifully insane twistered blistered sistered lol...I'm a very proud sib...a twistering FAV...love & twists...+WW+ Susan Ashley September 28, 2018 at 10:24 AM Lol! Thank you my twisted trippy triplet bro for your insane awesomeness and your hilarious uplifting comments and the fav. On wicked wings, your craziness has reached new heights since you found your twisted blistered twinster sisters.. haha! You make me and my insane Bren-twin proud as well! Love and triple twists and a drop and roll.. ~ The one and only barely sane sib :))

Robert Lindley September 24, 2018 at 5:52 AM My dear friend, your Poe'esq verses of phantasm and darkness are chilling and wondrously created. This is superbly composed verses that immediately brought to my mind Edgar Allen Poe, the greatest master of Dark poetry that ever lived and composed.. A fav and a very striking example of dark poetry! Susan Ashley September 28, 2018 at 8:33 AM Dear Robert, your wonderful comments fill me with joy. I'm so happy that you enjoyed the dark flavor of my haunting poem and I agree, with you, that Poe was the greatest master of Dark poetry.. I'm deeply honored that you think my humble verses were Poe'esq, my dear friend. Thank you for your uplifting comments and for the fav, both are truly treasured.. Warmest wishes always.. ~Susan

Arthur Vaso September 24, 2018 at 2:16 AM Very well written, this is more reality to me than you can imagine! Susan Ashley September 28, 2018 at 8:27 AM Really..!? Arthur, I would love to know how, as these kinds of incidents thoroughly fascinate me. I'm so glad that you enjoyed my poem but I do hope that you're not haunted by an evil incubus my friend.. Thank you for your meaningful and thought provoking comments.. ~Warmest wishes always.. ~Susan

Richard Lamoureux September 23, 2018 at 11:58 PM A deliciously dark treat. You have put me in a Halloween state of mind. Susan Ashley September 28, 2018 at 8:24 AM Thank you, Richard, for your always delicious comments. It's always a pleasure to hear from you my friend.. Warmest wishes always.. ~Susan