Haunting your childhood dreams,
shadow of fear,
climbs stairs to a silent scream;
sharp talons appear
on arms extreme,
bat-like, austere.
Himself to redeem,
he edges nearer…he’s near.
Haunting your children’s dreams,
shadow of fear,
no mirror image seen,
what’s that they hear?
Horror hands intervene,
unearthly sneer;
teeth glint in foulest scene,
his silhouette leers.
Haunting your every dream
shadow of fear,
Nosferatu of nightmare theme,
stalks, then he’s here!
Touch on your shoulder seam,
fangs drip, smeared;
throat constricts slowly,
is punctured, revered.
Polly Stretton © 2012
journalread 
26/05/2012 at 08:57
Just want to say this is definitely one of your best poems i have read in a while. Beautiful use of rhyme and repitition. The images are creepy and haunting, while at the same time magnificently portrayed.
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 09:00
Thanks maisygirl – some constructive advice here 🙂
It is interesting how many people prefer end rhymes in poetry …
LikeLike
27/05/2012 at 10:35
Yes, I think when something is well written using rhyme it can be brilliant. Personally I find it very hard to use rhyme in my own poems, so usually they’re freeverse.
LikeLike
27/05/2012 at 10:39
It’s a strange thing, this ‘what comes naturally’ to us; a writing friend and I talked at a recent workshop, she always but always writes in rhyming verse and says her words come to her that way and all she really wants to do is to write some free verse.
For me, I like both, I like the discipline of rhyming and the freedom of free verse – love to change a piece of prose into poetry – it’s so interesting the different ways in which people work.
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 10:24
This is fabulous – a real gothic horror!
What a scary poem, best read hiding behind my teddy bear ))screammmm((
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 10:44
Teddies are extremely good at warding off evil things with big claws and teeth 🙂
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 10:47
Tell that to my teddy who got eaten by the family dog 😦
hehe
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 10:48
ROFL 🙂
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 10:40
Glad I read this one in the morning and not at night! Thrillingly done. You’re right, it’s funny how we prefer rhymed poetry, probably because we can remember and recite it more.
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 10:46
Gosh, that’s an observation, Marina. You’re bound to be right – just think of all those nursery rhymes that we so loved as children [I confess, I still love them now]
I do like free verse, though …
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 14:43
Vivid, macabre images. I’d love to hear this one done as one of your audio poems.
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 15:18
Ah, would you now? heh-heh … might have to see what I can do …
Isn’t it a bit like ‘He Drinks Blood’ though?
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 15:22
I suppose it is, but good things should always come in pairs. 🙂
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 15:36
LOL! Good enough! Am working on it now …
With some ‘e e e e c c c h h h o o o’
heh-heh
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 17:30
Be careful what you wish for, Carrie!!!!!
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 18:05
How you put that together so quickly is beyond me, but I loved it! Are you on Twitter? I’d like to retweet this. If not, I’ll just send out a tweet with a link to this post if that’s okay with you. Really great stuff!
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 18:13
heh-heh – so glad it’s OK 🙂
Twitter? Oh yes! @pollyrobi 🙂 I’ve found you and am following 🙂
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 18:19
@carrie_rubin. I’ll look you up.
By the way, yesterday when we were eating out, I checked my phone for blog comments, and while looking at one of yours, my oldest son leaned over, saw your name, and told me to ask you if you “want a cracker?” And now that I just did, he’ll probably be mortified. 🙂
LikeLike
26/05/2012 at 18:20
heh-heh … I take it that’s a parrot allusion? So original!! heh-heh! 😉
LikeLike
27/05/2012 at 01:01
yikes! too vivid! Im grateful I’ve never entertained such illustrious monsters~ye terrific!~ Sincerely Deborah
LikeLike
27/05/2012 at 04:00
Glad you think so, Deborah, thank you for saying so 🙂
LikeLike
27/05/2012 at 09:27
This one appeals to my darky side
LikeLike
27/05/2012 at 09:35
We all have one …
LikeLike