In the breathless still
of a windless night
under the powdery gaze of the moon
a skeleton sped in the mad cartoon
of a leap and a dance
in her calcined white
A skeleton leapt
from her mouldy grave
into the shivering bat-strewn air
and gave a wild toss of her grass-dry hair
one eye staring out
of its orbital cave
The lightning flared
when she flashed her teeth
as though their clickety-clack could speak
but she gave one harsh immortal shriek
and hanged herself
with a mourning-wreath
So fled the night
of that fearful scene
with all its jittery terrors filled
its ancient horrors newly killed
the morning after:
Hallowe’en


Gave me the shivers, i can almost hear a voice in there.. though enter my dreams at your Peril!! c
Truthfully, I’d be scairt to try sneaking into your dreams more because TonTon would get hold of me and teach me a serious lesson and herd me unceremoniously off the property, but not before Houdini took after me, spurs first, and Daisy finished me off with the world’s biggest sloppy cowlick. I know my boundaries!
The poem and the photos are wickedly scaring and totally beautiful at the same time. Just amazing! Have a great week!
Thank you, dear Geni! I *am* getting a great start here. Richard (my husband)’s parents are here for a visit, so we went in and watched him in rehearsal and it was fun not only to hear that choir shaping up for what’ll be a great concert but also to come across campus on the way and see zombies, a bunny, Captain Underpants, a KGB agent, Gumby and many more interesting characters wandering around between classes. College is enlightening in more ways than one! Happy Halloween and have a wonderful week yourself!
That is awesome!
Thank you, Rumpydarling! I send you a fond WOOF on this holiday!
I read it again and came back to write a comment. I especially liked “a wild toss of her grass-dry hair /one eye staring out / of its orbital cave”. The grass-dry hair was striking and orbital cave was so fitting for the skeleton’s picture below it. And your connection of the lightning flaring when she flashed her teeth gave it and even more vivid supernatural aspect.
Why, thank you, Dennis, I truly appreciate the critique. And I’m glad you liked!
The images are excellent, I especially like the top one. The poem is shiver-y good.
Why, thank you, dear lady. I don’t know if it’s irony or serendipity, but the first image is a very slight alteration (stretched sideways, to be precise) of a painting I did years ago for a wedding banner, of all things–but I think it looks a little moody without the white dove I cropped off the top and the text I cropped off the bottom! And a little shiver is always a fine thing, as long as it’s not too reality-based!
Scary poem! and I love that first painting did you painted those?
Thank you, dear Raymund! Yes, all images on the blog are my work, both photographs and non-photos. The first is an acrylic painting on canvas (for details, see my note above to our lovely friend at justaddattitude); the second is a photo of the plastic skull I used to use for my drawing students’ practice and now sits on my bookshelf looking at me–digitally “painted” in Photoshop; the last is a digitally colored version of a charcoal drawing I did on paper.
I like your poetry very much and this one is no exception – thanks.
I do so appreciate support from a fellow poet, Dennis! Thank you kindly.