danse macabre

in the dead of night, i cried
eyes fluttering open
and the darkness is worse
than when i close my eyes
the shadows all mock me
as children of the night
 
even the vicious curl of a tree branch from
a caged window
managed to whisper taunts to wind 
and the dancing silhouettes that
scurried across the worn-out spines
of my leather-bound books
threatening to burn
“save me,” i whispered
but the voices are back
and numbness overcomes
 
fear haunts all humans
but true heroes carry light
despite the monsters that c r a w l
amongst their backs
just as goose bumps travel up their skin
and a scream is caught up in a raw throat of a child
blood splattered on the hard-packed dirt
the earth reclaiming what was theirs
 
"sweetie, it's time to sleep," the high-pitched voice says
the one that lulls me to a dreary state
the tendrils of her metaphorical fingers
curl over my face
holding me like a child that feared the night
she brushed the strands of hair from my eyes
and closing them until i dream
"save me," i whispered,
my voice small and meek
but she doesn't notice
and i didn't mind
as i feel her smile
pressed to the nape of my neck,
leaving me wondering
 
“remember this,”
her voice drawled on
r's rolled, s’ held out,
giving me the impression of
samba dancing and spiciness and warmth
a mother i never had, i think
"go to sleep, child," she closed the door 
to my room, and the lights dim down
my eyelashes flicker over
and the darkness engulfed my body in a sweet embrace
 
too late i realize
that he's back
the one with the broken song
and shattered eyes
whispering in my ear
of a danse macabre"
i hear uneven chords of a screeching violin
before he smiled again"
 
lacing my fingers,
holding my soul close
"save me," i whispered,
almost fervently
but he gripped me tighter,
his raspy voice snarls
"i already have," he twirled me,
the corners of his mouth twisting to a sneer
our arms and feet and hearts
waltzing to the dance of death.
 
(His mouth is on my neck,
biting fiercely into my skin, snarling"
“i saved you from yourself.")
 
my entire body falls
mind spinning and i sat up straight
sweat beaded on my body
goose bumps traveling on every inch"
my calloused fingers fluttered
over my skin
and it takes me a while to realize
he's there,
the man with a broken song
decaying skin and hair as black as night
bones creeping
from the soil by his feet
 
"save me?" his mouth curled, mockingly
and he traced me with devil eyes
"no one will be able to save you,"
i sat shell-shocked
and he stood
his arms and legs gangly
towering over me with a morbid smile
he smirked knowingly
as if he knew a secret i didn’t
 
"why?" i felt myself slipping away
his dead eyes shone
as bright as a broken man could
his hands grab at my soul
and i could feel myself suffocate
in the cold of my lungs
 
"it's because you're already dead," he spat, 
and my unmoving eyes watched
as he walked away in strides
my soul over his shoulder
my hollow body contorted to display a spectrum of fear
 
"save me," i whispered, in desperation
into the collarbones of Death himself

and he laughed. 

Author's Note

written Dec. 2013

Reviews

[Sarah]

Very impressive, I enjoyed the word choice