Ravenous

My scream was hoarse
because salt seared my
throat the night the zombie
epidemic became non-fiction.

I hid behind my ocean-ghost
hair, inside of the giant
clock that stood in town-square--
                            it had forgotten how to
                            keep time years ago.

Flesh, both rotted and fresh,
littered the still-smoking
streets and I counted to ten
on my nine fingers,

trembled as shivers rippled along my skin.

He had stolen my heart
last year and today, he had
taken my finger as well,
     swallowed it whole.

Water drips from my burning eyes--
   tears, or leftover sea wringing
   itself from my feverish body?

The air ticks and then my heart
tocks its' last tock--

   a flash of static,
               I growl.

Reviews

[Androglossia]

Mermaid, this poem is impetuous and intellectually penetrating. It's like a century old scalpel with a jagged thin edge slicing down a throat. Are you watching too much Walking Dead these days? If you are then it's not bad at all because you have crafted an exceptional piece out of it. L I K E D.

[eglantine]

thank you, glad you enjoyed it!

[Frieda P]

I was about to eat breakfast, but I've sort of lost my appetite after this gory read! Not into flesh eating poetry, but this was actually quite entertaining. Good one...'last tock' was money!

[Pete Langley]

Well, Eglantine, zombies are not my `bag`, but I found your poem very entertaining! I tried to divine the significance of the nine fingers, but decided you lost the other in the cogs of the clock workings! Well done, love. P.

[eglantine]

haha, it was bitten off by her bf who had already turned. Thanks for stopping by!

[Sami Khalil]

"Water drips from my burning eyes--
tears, or leftover sea wringing"
Those lines stood out for me in this lovely poem...:)

[eglantine]

merci

[Sami Khalil]

Trejoulet

[asdarkeyesclose]

'I hid behind my ocean-ghost
hair, inside of the giant
clock that stood in town-square--'

i loved the ghoulish undercurrent, the imagery very intense and nicely over dramatic. fantastic.

[eglantine]

merci

[jacob erin-cilberto]

wow, what a forlorn love poem...great analogy to the zombies..."counted to ten on my nine fingers"
"a flash of static,
I growl"

love those lines...one spot..should be "tocks its last tock"

but wow, such an intriguing write.

[eglantine]

Thank you :)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

you are most welcome...would love a visit from you sometime, if you have a spare moment or two...read moreyou are most welcome...would love a visit from you sometime, if you have a spare moment or two...

jacob

[Jack...]

The Walking Dead has nothing on you my friend. This was sad and funny at the same time.

"I counted to 10 on my 9 fingers"

[eglantine]

haha, thanks, I had been watching a lot of that show when I wrote this