I am instantly transported to a place
I do not know of.
Tiny particles of me
Lift like metallic powder,
As if from a violent sneeze,
Then settle back together
When my whole virtual body
Shivers and regains my balance.
My stomach lurches and
Suddenly my mouth fills
With an uncontrolled need
To rid myself of swallowed nutrients.
As I concentrate on calming
My protesting digestive system,
I look around at my surroundings.
All this happens in a few dreadful moments.
I am standing on black grass.
This grass is not diseased to look
This colour, it’s healthy:
No, this place reeks of death.
I'm on the edge of a riverbank,
A riverbank with steep sides
The colour of crusted wounds,
And water runs too fast,
Too angry, frothing red,
And bubbling.
Wait a moment – bubbling?
I watch transfixed as a giant
Hand emerges from the river,
Black and white like the fuzzy
Snow on a malfunctioning TV set.
But on the white and black
Is stained crimson:
Blood.
And I look at the swirling river
And realize with shocking horror:
Blood.
Suddenly the hand reaches
And grabs me,
And there’s no use fighting,
None at all. No use.
My hair flops in front of my
Stinging eyes as I am swung
With the quick wrist movements
Of the hand.
I feel my body, clenched
In a tight fist, slide slightly
With the scarlet stickiness.
All at once I am flung,
Down, down, down,
From the dark sky,
Flung from the silent hand.
I am sinking
Deep, deep, deep
Into the river,
Spiraling and drowning,
Gulping, gasping,
Unwillingly choking
On fresh death,
Blood fills my throat
And ears.
I am stifled with carmine,
I can’t hear the thrashing
Rapids or my own desperate
Screaming, and I churn
Deeper.
Deeper.
Down.
Author notes
Okay, well, I don't think detailed nightmares were what the judge was looking for after all, with the criteria..."tears, screams, and horrible dreams", and the feeling of hopelessness. Ah, well. I'm still sorta' proud of this...This is the total opposite of what I normally write, I'd absolutely LOVE some comments on it!(For anyone who reads this, thank you very much!)
Written July 3rd, 2003
In a list
A contest entry
- tears, screams, and horrible dreams by smartywpolicy.
250 points, ended July 4, 2003, 25 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 5 of 5
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Woah! one crazy nightmare! Really good descriptions of it! I love it. It should be a movie!
~Aero -
Sounds like utter confusion and chaos
Very well writen.I love to read about any kind dreams.
~Spirit~ -
holy toledo...you are right anne, amazing amazing.
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ruth serious, i know i sounds corny, but this is amazing. really.
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Hey ruth, good poem, pretty freaky though. There are a couple of errors, incase you want to fix them before judging: In the first line: "I am instantly transported to place" should it be "a place"? And in the middle:
Gulping, gasping,
Unwillingly chocking
I assume you mean choking?? There is no second c in the word..
Anyways, great poem other than those little errors! Good luck in the contest!
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