Q u i d a m

Long awaited flight

( Trigger warning )

( 1st Winner in the poetry category of 2023 Halloween Vault contest  as well as profile pick— hosted by profile 'fright!' )

I don't know when the clock strived at twelve,

I don't know if the mocking power had a purple face,

Altogether from another world, this place is for

haunted muse, flowery meadow, fearful caress

it knows your darkest secrets.

The whole curse of perished beauty,

More intoxicating than golden night, briefer than

trampled wormwood, this place demolished

the passion of love, secrets died, buried

in frenzied delight, six feet under torment hell.

Mock at faith, bitter pain, it will start a fire—

worldwide deaths, drenched in blood, tread on

frozen swift, "There's only one life that lives, that's me!"

Shivering isles, waving red flags—

"I don't know who you're, let me move from this gloom!"

Crack, crack, crack — "Do you see? Do you hear?"

The wind laughs with blizzard splits,

carrying a red bloody flag;

Tread, tread, tread softly, "Your body is mine to feast."

It bares its teeth in a hungry flare to tear

apart until there's nothing left.

This is the start, moon screech over mindless leer—

I sit here drunk on mysteries, my fears reflect

in a glass jar, broken, dull, downcast.

Waiting for the night to pass—

but this is only the start!

Strange voice, why do you follow me?

Stop it! Stop it! Why did you seek me?

Crowned with a crown, it's the fear dark—

"You're the next! I will feast your brain, there will be nothing left."

Bullet crossed, flowery dim frost, everyone got caught!

Above the dusty hands, there crawls a trembling body—

Wait for light steps, awful in lightening span,

Here, here, in the dark rose shadows grow

High, clear, it sends an arrow!

"Alien dark, dark of night, I fear not! I won't be the next!"

Let the night gloom, camp fires late—

History's about to change!

Blazing lights in the increased plights,

Holy flags flash in fume, bloom the first flight—

And endless battle through blood and dust, there will be no feast!

Moon screech for the last time,

Sun sets with agonised blood!

Heart pounds, O! Cry my heart! Stop the crazy flood!

It's the end of feasting minds,

Enhance the long awaited flight!

— 9th October, 2023
(Word count: 356)

. . .

It's written for Halloween vault 2023. I had a two choice. Either write a short story under 5000 word limit or a poem without exceeding the limit of 500 word.

Of course, I wanted to try both because (i) it was a golden chance to push myself to write a short story (ii) I love poetry.

But they allowed only one entry per one person so I'd to goodbye to short story writing because I couldn't just let go the chance to write a Halloween entry poem. It's a tradition after all, if you remember my last year's sestina poem. ;)

I chose the prompt by fright and the chosen prompt is :

"This place isn't just any haunted house. It's alive. It feasts on your fears. It knows everything and anything about you. Your worst nightmares; Your darkest secrets buried deep within your soul. This house will pick your brain and tear you apart until there's nothing left. And you're its next victim."

Hope you'd enjoyed!