"Spooky Poems" October Lunchnotes 2021

 

From sights unseen,
and nightmares dreamed,
it's crept and crawled once more.
At midnight's toll,
manifested whole,
it waits just at the door.

Through cracks it seeps,
while the restless sleep,
the tendrils ooze and spread,
It settles in,
the haunt begins,
from deep inside your head.

~~~

In the dark of witching hour,
when shades and shadows creep,
spooks and spectres revived with power,
gather where you sleep.

Your slumberous breath grows cold and shallow,
your sleeping form stiff with fright,
those spirits chanting darkly hallow,
draining your strength in the night.

~~~

From sleep you startle, wide awake,
struggling, some sense to make,
of chills that crawl from toe to top,
and a silent scream you dare not stop.

Awake, but eyes remain stitched close,
you sense, though blind, what here arose,
and frantic, scramble back from where,
the spectre of nightmares awaits you there.

~~~

Peering into the darkness deep,
unwilling to succumb to sleep.

There's no monsters under the bed,
they're coming from inside your head.

Beyond each corner, sneaking past
the barest glimpse but gone too fast.

The air feels charged, your breath gone cold,
each shallow gasp, you strain to hold.

You shiver and your knees go weak,
you hear a moan, and then a creak.

Shuffle of hoofs or claws or feet,
sets your heart on a frantic beat.

The creature closes in, still blind,
in darkness you are hard to find.

But found you'll be, just wait and see,
there's no escaping... from... Henri!

~~~

One ragged breath as daylight ends,
held fast as night descends,
you dare not move or make a sound,
lest nightmares you surround.

They creep and crawl and slither,
you feel them pass, and shiver.
They pass you by, deaf, dumb and blind,
destroying all that they can find.

So still, and silent, eyes screwed tight,
trembling limbs and face gone white,
your strangled breath hisses out,
they pounce, before you've time to shout.

~~~

At the stroke of midnight,
when all the world's asleep,
from the very pit of hell,
the nightmare shadows creep.

They rise from shallow grave,
float up from watery depth,
descend from off the hangman's noose,
reawakening from death.

They scuttle cross the starless night,
each searching out its prey,
siphoning the very breath,
from where their victims lay.

Beware...be warned! They rise again,
revenge their only aim,
from Tartarus they've made their way,
the innocent to blame.

~~~

There's a scritching at the bedpost,
and a scratching at the door,
there's a squeaking at the window,
and a creaking on the floor.

There's a damp grey fog descending,
and a very sudden ending,
to your peaceful slumbers there,
with a frigid blast of air.

There's a scream the rends the night,
as you bolt from sleep, upright,
and you fumble for the light,
at 2a.m., to Henri's delight!

...the toddler terror!

~~~

In the silence, deep and dark,
when all the world's asleep,
phantoms from the nightmare zone,
across your bedroom creep.

Click of claw, slithering scales,
your ears prick up in fright,
sounds of monsters gathering,
shatter the still of night.

One last breath you chance to take,
in hopes that you'll survive,
that through the horror movie,
you'll make it out alive!

~~~

From deep below you hear it,
incessant scratching sound,
like fingernails on coffin lids,
from 6 feet underground.

You crawl into your bedsheets,
and pull your limbs in close,
you shiver as you wrap up tight,
from top right down to toes.

The scratching sound is louder,
the surface almost reached,
the monstrous thing is nearly through,
your safety almost breached.

Be warned! Beware! Be wary!
The creature's claws are near,
it's broken through, it's found its prey,
there's no safe quarter here! 

~~~

Did you hear that? What's that sound?
Go on. You should look around.
I'll wait here, all safe and still,
while you check the windowsill.

Did you lock the door up tight?
Maybe you forgot tonight.
Check again, by all means do.
Have you checked the back door, too?

Shine your flashlight high and low,
sweep the rafters and below.
Where's it gone? The fright? The scare?
Maybe it's behind the stair.

You keep looking, while I wait,
though it's probably too late.
The monster's not just in your head,
I'm right here, underneath your bed!

~~~

A ghastly glow of hellfire,
against the black of night,
erupts from deep within the earth,
and almost blinds your sight.

A chorus of discordance,
unearthly shrieks and wails,
your very soul attempts to flee,
but every muscle fails.

Locked frozen where you're standing,
mute terror, eyes screwed tight,
as all of hell pours forth in flames,
and spectres take to flight.

A yawning chasm opens,
you're at the very edge,
where demons bring their hapless prey,
and fling them from the ledge.

You watch in helpless terror,
those poor departing souls,
the fissure seals, the flame burns out,
as morning the clock tolls.

~~~

Wispy tendrils tease the hair,
dampness coats the nape,
foul odors fill the air,
blights each surface drape,

tangled vines each limb ensnare,
tortured souls take shape,
trapped, tormented, in despair,
toothless mouths agape,

wordless warnings to beware,
claws at shackles scrape,
of salvation you've no prayer,
too late to escape,

caught within this haunted lair,
in a nightmare scape.

~~~

Quickly now, come shine your light,
across this bitter, ink-stained night,
and put to rest my surging fright,
of monsters lurking out of sight.

Swiftly now, come hold my hand,
and bravely back to back we'll stand,
the vicious onslaught to withstand,
as Hallows Eve rallies the damned.

Briskly now, come run with me,
from witches, ghosts, and goblins flee,
outpace the wicked shrieks of glee,
and terrors we can't even see.

~~~

In sleep you toss and turn,
your limbs the bedsheets churn,
till tight the knot,
within you're caught,
awaiting its return.

Caught fast 'twixt midnight's tolls,
the shriek of tortured souls,
tears wide the night,
you wake in fright,
and find it's gained control.

You feel your breathing smother,
as if drained by another,
stuck in its grasp,
your final gasp,
is stolen by...
...your brother! 

~~~

Before the sun begins to rise,
before the sleep clears from your eyes,
the shades and shadows hover near,
like vultures, feeding on your fear.

All night you toss and turn and dream,
your mouth caught in a rictus scream,
the haunted prey of Hades' beast,
your terror, an enticing feast.

In slumber's web, each limb pulled taut,
your soul is well and truly caught,
the rav'nous hordes swiftly descend,
witness to your untimely end.

~~~

Waking, walking, light of day,
fearless, 'thinking come what may'.
Sure you've not a care to fret,
in your daily schedule set.

Going on about your way,
sure this sense of calm will stay.
Then an icy breeze blows by,
shadows race across the sky.

Shivering now, not just from cold,
but a fear, remembered, old.
Turn to meet your fate, and so,
back to school you now must go!

~~~

Sunset burns across the skies,
searing shadows on your eyes.
Soon enough, it flickers out,
in the dark you cast about.

Trembling fingers test the air,
still you're blinded by that glare.
Cautiously, with arms splayed wide,
you reach out for the other side.

Step by step you slowly take,
praying no false moves to make.
Breathing hitched, and tongue gone dry,
cursing each unseeing eye.

Then...pain! You've run right out of luck,
for in your foot a Lego is stuck!

~~~

Within the dark of early dawn, the clock rings out alarm.
You start to rise from restless sleep, stretch out each leg and arm.
You sit up slowly, glance around, oblivious to harm.

But what is this? The room still dark? No sign of sunrise glow?
You grab the clock to check the time. Is it too early? No!
The morning's here, well underway, still black the skies are though.

The fog of sleep fast dissipates a frisson deep within.
Your nerves and senses racing now, that tingle on your skin.
For in the endless deep and dark, All Hallows did begin.

No sun to burn the morning sky, nor keep the daemons back.
No sanctuary to be found, just deep and endless black.
You brace yourself and whisper prayers and wait for the attack.

From deep within that inky swirl, your ears prick at the sound.
A shrieking descant, howls, and screams, rises from underground.
There's no place left to run and hide, they rise en masse, surround.

Your fate is sealed, your life signed for, your very soul the prize.
With fang and claw and tooth they come, to relish in your demise.
Your screams grow faint, your voice too weak, then blackness fills your eyes.

~~~

The clock's struck 12 on Hall'ween night,
and just like that, it ends.
The goblins, ghosts and witches, too,
back to their lairs descend.

They've had their fun the whole month through,
they've had their due of fright.
They've terrorized and tortured,
enjoyed their victims' plight.

The clocks strikes 12, a second more,
the ghouls and spooks, despised
do vanish back to whence they came,
we've once again survived!

Farewell, 12 years of spooky poems...Welcome, November!