Trigger

Bent beneath this heavy heart
while tempted ghosts do knock about,
these shadows long since chased from sight
return now, chained in Marley's plight

Doomed to wander endlessly
when called upon by strangers' tongues
who've never heard their tortured cries,
those same ones I am haunted by

Boney wisps caress my face
as husks of lips press bruising kisses;
a nightmare, dressed as blessed sleep,
a woollen wolf who softly creeps

Like a lover lost to time,
outgrown by altered fallacies,
still tempting in its sick allure
so I must cast it off once more

Author's Note

National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
Call 1-800-273-8255
Available 24 hours everyday

Reviews

[barleygirl]

I’ve read quite a few poems with a bleak or hopeless message lately & your poem is expressed in the most creative ways. Sometimes when feeling bleak, it’s hard to come up with something artful in writing. That’s why I’m so impressed with how much imagination you put into these expressions: “boney wisps caress my face” . . . “still tempting with its sick allure” . . . and on & on you go. Becuz of your authors note, I get the idea this poem is about suicide, but this message would also be a haunted Halloween themed poem, as well. It’s just plain good macabre imagery! (((HUGS))) Fondly, Margie

[barleygirl]

Yes, Tony's suicide still haunts me, as does Robin Williams. I understand how this is a trigger & I'm glad you brought that up, becuz I had not considered your title word very much until you did (((HUGS)))

[Gaia Octavia]

💜💜💜 .

[emipoemi]

wow! a lot of juicy lines comprise this piece! wow! Stanza 3 Line 1 should put the "as" in Line 2 at the beginning of the line (for better aesthetic and musicality), but this is fantastic as a whole. Love how it flows, love the imagery and references (Jacob Marley, "woollen wolf", "a nightmare dressed as blessed sleep" even though was not the exact reference, nor did I think it an intentional nod, reminded me of "a nightmare, white as leprosy" from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. That line is still a very juicy line, in fact. I loved it). Absolutely ingenious! Well done!

[Gaia Octavia]

Thank you so much! You are too kind. I kept switching the placement of the "as" so that was super helpful, ty!

[emipoemi]

my pleasure.