Notes About The Poem
Written on June 20th, 2026 for Ink Empress's contest Heat of the Heartbeat Poetry Contest, "Where the sky drifts into the sea".
Where the sky drifts into the sea
Where the sky drifts into the sea,
an old shack lies in the distance.
An antique grandfather clock strikes midnight,
whilst I sit alone in an old leather chair.
Musky, burnt incense clouds the room,
as frankincense ash clings tightly to swaying curtains.
Beams of gloomy light stream through cracked windows,
creating prisms of iridescence across unforgiving floorboards.
Repentance came too late.
A metallic wax-sealed letter
rests upon a walnut desk.
Two raven-shaped candles are nearly burnt down to the wick.
Once the flames have extinguished,
fate comes to collect.
Running my burning fingertips across the wax seal
melts it away.
Unbound, the slip of tanned paper
unfurls in my hands.
Glowing orange words
spell out an ironclad contract.
The unmistakable scent of sulfur
rises through the air,
overpowering the senses.
Once-familiar pictures of loved ones distort into demonised figures.
The veil between worlds thins.
Flickering, the candles are snuffed out.
The curtains curl around the windows.
Absolute darkness ensues.
Hot breath raises goose pimples
on the back of my neck.
Claws dig deep into my ankles,
pulling me backward.
Inexorably,
death came.
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