Haunted

It wasn't until much later he noticed
that the crows had begun to inhabit the old tree.
It was a great source of consternation and horror
to the local citizens that rose into a frenzy as each
new day turned into night.

Huge bonfires were built in the streets in rows
as a form of barrier around which the people huddled,
starved of sleep by their panic, anxiously waiting for
the experts to explain
what the true meaning
of this inexplicable piece
of mysteriously placed in the center of town graffiti
by person, persons, (or things), unknown
could possibly mean and why the strange drawings that
accompanied what may, or may not, have been
a known human text
seemed, as each moment passed,
to create, in their minds
a subtle remembrance of things passed, from long ago
that had perhaps been forgotten, or had never
been known
at all.

It had for years been a source of intrigue,
that mansion at the summit of what appeared
to be, a haunted hill.
Pressed close to the cliff's edge, and with a
single, often silhouetted, palm tree towering
beside it, it was a house which
no-one was ever seen to come to,
or to go from,
and yet, at strange times of the night,
a series of flashing lights would begin to occur,
rising in intensity and frequency and deft traveling,
with great speed, from one end of the house to the other.
Then to abruptly stop, and once again, restore
the house to a complete, still darkness.

There was no reason for this to occur
and no-one ever dared venture
into the house to investigate
what was going on.
With the obvious blackened stains
above the long-since-smashed-out-by-flame-windows,
the place had been rendered useless for dwelling,
for both squatters and all others.

If anyone had ever dared to attempt
to find a way to get to it
they would have soon discovered
that around the base of the high cliffs
upon which this alabaster paradox stood,
there really was no way of gaining entry
that yielded itself, in any obvious manner.
 
And, as one progressed in their travels around
the base of these cliffs, there were literally
thousands upon thousands of animal skulls,
and other bones
lying white atop one another
in ancient crumbling piles
disintegrating, soft as wet chalk.

The place, which appeared as though it were a house,
was situated at an address
that did not exist
on any section of the map
so that it did not have any
reference point
in the real world at all,
remaining conspicuously absent
from every source guide,
available in any form,
as if, at the time of recording,
it had, for some strange reason,
been completely overlooked,
or simply had not
been there at all.

Reviews

[Raj Sahu]

“The charm of horror only tempts the strong” ― Jean Lorrain

It is a good poem indeed. Very well written and expressed. Keep writing.
Congratulations!

[Brett Hernan]

It's really just a description of the 'after' evidence photo of a share-house I once lived in.
Many thanks for your kind comments, Raj, along with my apologies for such a delayed response.
I appreciate your comment and that quote I fear may very well may lead somewhere truly terrifying and I only just escaped from there!

[Trong Van]

Is it true that we have a Haunted place like this in Tassie? If so I must visit it when my family go there for holiday next time. It sounds very interesting. Cheers Van

[Brett Hernan]

Hi Van,
there are a few places in Tassie that are haunted. I have been shown a house where the residents refuse to go into the upper floor, as it's so haunted.
The truth is, what I've written here was inspired by a house which sits above a cliff as one approaches the Bridgewater bridge from Hobart on the highway. I have lived in a few haunted places over the years. That's probably why the owners of them have chosen to let them out rather than choosing to live in them.
In my estimation, it's not ghosts that one needs to fear, but the so-called 'living'!
I hope you have a great trip when you come and if you want to experience some ghostly goings on, there is a tour that is held at the Port Artur historic sight which they call 'The Ghost Tour'.

[Trong Van]

Thanks for the useful information Brett, cheers

[Brett Hernan]

It's okay. The computer just automatically writes this stuff.