We press our ear to the keyhole
Try not to disturb the sleeping menace
Phantoms swaying in the night
Rustling like freshly pressed cotton
We pull the bell rope
Make it chime and sing
A warm creeping cheer
All that we can hear
A million little winks
Blushed in the quiet of the dark
Poured quietly over skin
A gentle stream which foams and welters
The cats lick up the salt
Dry tongues colliding with rocks
We follow the light
Shy and free
Forge our way forward with busy fingers
A style all yours and mine
We knock on wood
Listen for an answer
Slowly turn the key
Mirrors and claws twist in our eyes
We shut the door quickly
Ever watchful of the night.
This is a very intriguing poem........I love the bell rope, chiming and singing.....and the million little winks. Love "we follow the light / shy and free". The "mirrors and claws twisting in our eyes" is an amazing image.
ReplyDelete"Mirrors and claws twist in our eyes" Wow! That is a powerful image. I so wish I could paint so that I could illustrate this. One day, I might try to paint my feelings of is in words--describe what the lines says to me about reflections, about the pain we give, about how surreal reality can get.
ReplyDeleteNow this is different Jae! The given words were certainly given to a creepy theme weren't they?
ReplyDeleteAh, this seems quite ominous...knowing the menace is on the other side. And then the 'mirrors and claws' -- yikes! Really a well-crafted piece of writing.
ReplyDeleteYou build suspense into this piece. I love the way your descriptions to evoke this sense.
ReplyDeleteWe never know what's behind the door, do we? Even after we listen at the keyhole, and think that we've got a good handle on what's beyond the door, some sort of surprise--either good or bad--is always waiting for us.
ReplyDeleteThis...it feels like it was written by phantoms who are slipping through a house. Cagey and...not quite terrifying?
ReplyDeleteJae, it has been too long! But your writing is just as crisp, with that bump-in-the-night spooky quality that is so electric! Glad I am back posting, if only to see you here. Love, Amy
ReplyDeleteWonderful door metaphors in a fascinating piece, that takes your readers in intriguing directions. Loved it!
ReplyDeleteEven when the subject matter sounds ominous, the phraseology is beautiful.
ReplyDelete"A million little winks
ReplyDeleteBlushed in the quiet of the dark
Poured quietly over skin"...
beautiful!
A million little winks
ReplyDeleteBlushed in the quiet of the dark
Poured quietly over skin
A gentle stream which foams and welters.... oh those images are so lucid.