Notes About The Poem

Written for when September ends contest sponsored by Daniel Henry R. Using also some prompts by an Instapoet ;)

The Date of Demise (DHR)

The clinical sentence was pronounced,
perfumed with the devil’s royal scent ~
a relapse that smells
like an ethereal remedy
as every restless leaf abandons
its luscious green to the grave,
where her heartbeat
still sighs amidst the sleepless sunrise
beneath the loam,
where gloaming once, upon a blood moon,
homed the valiant vibratos
of her laughter,
yet if the only way to remember
is to remain unhealed,
as russet strings
of a violin ring through,
carrying sweet nightmares ~
held within the dusk
like beloved nightingales,
letting my inner calendar
return to circling the date
when she last breathed my name ~

O divine darkness,
let me fade until the face
of September’s stars wane
and phase the sorrow
into soundless torrents of
rehearsed requiems
until hurt sounds like a hypnotic hymn.

I swallowed, O Griefversary,
my penance through turning time,
the italicised letters
chronicling the chronic memoirs
while the tongue of trauma
prescribes crippling anxiety
into my thoughts,
I have long bottled
blurred hope
and summer sonatas,
with every memory crushed
like an autopsy listed as an accessory,
weaving words
borrowed from archived affections
as I leave line after line,
no longer aching
for the dark to understand that 
my faith developed a stutter,
my pulse filed pleas for Prozac,
my ink confessed unseen panic,
my skin carried fingerprints
of midnight fears ~
and I still walk through
the black rose maze of memories,
around the season of
her irrevocable demise ~ 

September, the soulful wraith
          of ghosts I love beyond death…
Copyright © | Year Posted 2026

Poem

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Dietrich Avatar
September 2, 2026 at 4:26 PM
This one is also high on the top new poems list and it got HM mention in Daniels contest. You are tops everywhere, Sweetie!
Wolf Avatar
August 29, 2026 at 7:35 PM
Whoa! Take a stroll on the Dark Side with the Empress... Can I take a deep breath now?!
George Avatar
August 28, 2026 at 7:22 PM
"my ink confessed unseen panic, my skin carried fingerprints of midnight fears ~ and I still walk through the black rose maze of memories,"--- Dear Empress, your poem is simply brilliant and greatly evocative. An outpouring of your heart, unraveling the fears, angst and quiet turmoil. Your bruised mind's vulnerability expressed in many lines is profoundly moving and the pain they foreshadow is quite visible and palpable. 😢 "as every restless leaf abandons its luscious green to the grave, where her heartbeat still sighs amidst the sleepless sunrise" Simply Brilliant !👍🔥Into my FAV
Dietrich Avatar
August 28, 2026 at 7:20 PM
Griefversary. Wow. What a clever word pairing! I love how you used the things that relate so well to September to Ink this profound poetry. Love this gothic kind of writing from you. A fave. I love poems about my birth month! 🌹
Daniel Avatar
August 27, 2026 at 10:02 PM
This is simply stunning work, Ink Empress😊
Borg Avatar
August 27, 2026 at 7:44 AM
A haunting description of loss captured as usual by your infallible pen. Take care, Empress, you are a drawer of tears from reluctant eyes.
Kavanagh  Avatar
August 26, 2026 at 3:19 AM
Wow Ink, this one runs very deep, you captures that haunting grief we all know, portrayed perfectly here, and that fear healing might somehow mean forgetting. I especially liked the “griefversary” (great invented word) that September brings, There’s also so much rich, dark imagery going on, and of course the mention of Prozac is extremely powerful too! Brilliant work, and a pleasure to read, all the best for contest! cheers David
Empress Avatar
August 26, 2026 at 7:29 AM
I know only few would notice Prozac, thank you so much for reading and for leaving such an encouraging comment. I am truly grateful dear David, sending you light always 💫
Hind Avatar
August 25, 2026 at 10:45 PM
AMAZING WORK <3 🌹
Empress Avatar
August 26, 2026 at 7:33 AM
Thank you so much sweet paige. 💋
Onpaper Avatar
August 25, 2026 at 12:04 PM
a relapse that smells like an ethereal remedy… u r an ethereal remedy papi🌹🌙🕊️…. O divine darkness, let me fade … no fading away!!! Even if u try !!! U may not! until the face of September’s stars wane and phase the sorrow into soundless torrents oooo that is sexaaaay papi!! I love that line…until hurt sounds like a hypnotic hymn. Chiiiild umma make hyms like u never hear aee !!! Even darkness cannot aee !!! while the tongue of trauma prescribes crippling anxiety into my thoughts,.. let chop off that idot’s tongue then!!! Ain’t nobody gonna get away with such tongue action on u aee … the black rose maze of memories, around the season of her irrevocable demise … oooo this ending is breathtaking!!! Stunning papi..
Empress Avatar
August 26, 2026 at 7:50 AM
Your comment made me smile haha! Thank you papi! You rawk 🤘
Lane Avatar
August 25, 2026 at 10:27 AM
If only we could bottle our misery what torrents of tears we could escape from crying in angst of loss. You did an excellent job of leaving your unique fingerprints of ink in all of your lines. There's something about lace and black roses that stimulates my senses to weep for a loved one that we can no longer have in our lives. You know what I mean... one week today.
Empress Avatar
August 26, 2026 at 8:07 AM
Sigh, the wound is still fresh for you, dear Linnerzz. I appreciate you visiting this and sharing your heart with me here. I’ve never had a truly loyal best friend ever since her, and I didn’t get my closure either. Just knowing that, even in her last breath, she asked for me was enough ~ and I don’t ever want to heal from the loss, as I fear forgetting her. Some dates are just heavy... Thank you so much for your kindness and empathy. Sending you light, always.
Goldsmith Avatar
August 25, 2026 at 10:12 AM
WOW!!! What an amazing write/read you have here with a great picture. What a great ending... I love the great month of September. "Good Luck"  I did, "When September Ends You Must Wake Me Up." Have a lovely day writing away.............
Empress Avatar
August 26, 2026 at 8:46 AM
Awwn I read yours too, sweet soul Paula. Appreciate your kindness Sending you light always 💫
Gibbons Avatar
August 25, 2026 at 9:51 AM
My dearest ink powerful write ✍️ but I cried all through it 😭😭 felt depth from start to finish. " upon a blood moon " 🌙death calling 😭 " the tongue of trauma " " crippling anxiety into my thoughts " scary which I've experienced in episodes in my life as you have my dear ink 🫂 " my pulse filed pleas for prozac " such a pull ere. " black rose maze of memories ", and ~ the final quote " ghosts I love beyond death " hugzzz for the depth of this still 😭❤️‍🩹🌹💋💋
Empress Avatar
August 26, 2026 at 8:47 AM
Awwwn my scottish star sigh, I know you know the feeling and the emotions expressed here, and your empathy is truly soul warming to receive. Thank you for being here and for supporting me! I am truly grateful! I appreciate your touch on this poem Please dont cry. 😢 Sending you light always 💋 💫 🦄
Sharma  Avatar
August 25, 2026 at 9:05 AM
I loveeee absolutely how you've written about the inner calender and the circling date of death! Sigh! I felt it all and today, it just hits evermore strongly! The tongue of trauma has really known no language other than anxiety and misery and I've been under its constant spell, but I know what you've described there and especially with that ending sigh, very vulnerable and emotive my dear poetic guardian angel 🌹🌙 "my pulse filed pleas for Prozac, my ink confessed unseen panic, my skin carried fingerprints of midnight fears " Sigh.. I hope no one has to wander thru that block rose maze ever! It's haunting .. and heartless.. and those last two lines! Ah, my fave! The opening and the ending lines are the special favs 😭😭🥹🤌🏻❤️‍🩹 FAVE ~ hope it does very well in the contest!
Empress Avatar
August 26, 2026 at 8:53 AM
Awwn thank you for not just admiring my words but also for feeling every emotion wrapped here within. Your empathy and ability to understand and grasp little things truly is impressive my angelic star! I am grateful Sending you light always 💫 🌹 💋 🧜‍♀️ 🧚
Sharma  Avatar
August 25, 2026 at 9:03 AM
GOSHHH, my dear ink empress, where do I even begin praising, this is honestly one of the most memorable and poetically profound pieces I've ever read and one of the best from you! The personification, the medical imagery of pronouncing a death and the dedication to the anatomical wordsmithery, I'm awestruck by it all! This is wowzersss 🔥❤️‍🔥 "where her heartbeat still sighs amidst the sleepless sunrise beneath the loam","September’s stars wane and phase the sorrow into soundless torrents"
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