An Eldritch Shadow

Something a bit darker and creepier now... I occasionally like to stray into the horror realm. If you're a fan of my other work... this might not appeal to you XD

The shadow in my closet lies,

With pointed teeth and watching eyes,

He hides and lurks in there all day,

But 'neath the moon comes out to play.

One cold November, late at night,

As I lay sleeping, tucked in tight,

A wailing woke me full and whole,

And chilled me to my very soul.

The closet door was open wide,

And naught but darkness lay inside,

But was it naught, the darkness there?

Or did it make some deathly form...

Some ancient eldritch hellish form....

A presence in that shadowed lair?

With failing nerves I took a light,

And lit my candle, racked with fright.

My light reduced the shadows all,

Except one patch upon the wall...

This patch persisted, deep and small,

This living shadow on my wall,

I yelled and shook to no avail,

The shadow grew and I grew pale.

And then to my panicked surprise,

The shadow opened up it's eyes!

A hellish tendril outwards shot,

My candle fell, the flame went dark...

And my boudoir 'twas all in dark...

The shadow wrenched me from my cot.

I didn't wake when morning came.

Though mother dearest called my name.

My room was empty when they called,

But for the shadows on the walls.

And now my lot is one of pain,

I lie in darkness, quite insane,

I lurk behind a closet door,

And watch a woman sleep and snore.

One day she will be my prey,

The Dark will strike another day,

Another soul with join us then,

And live in shadow everwhen.

The shadow in my closet lies,

With pointed teeth and watching eyes,

He hides and lurks in there all day,

But 'neath the moon comes out to play.

Reviews

[SADS]

Lovely poem. Well I'm not saying the subject matter is lovely but you get what I'm saying. It's not often you find new age writers writing in a more traditional style like this. The atmosphere of the poem is refreshingly well done. You managed to tell a very "Stephen King-esque" story in just a few short lines. Well done. I liked it a lot.

[Lady Annabella]

Thank you very much :) Stephen King is one of my literary idols, so I'm flattered at the comparison :)

[SADS]

I'm actually in the middle of The Stand right now. Not to mention Different Seasons is one of my favorite books.

[Lady Annabella]

That's so cool! :) The Stand is one of my favorites, along with Misery and It. And correct me if I'm wrong, but isn't Different Seasons the collection that includes The Shawshank Redemption?

[SADS]

Yup. My favorite of the four stories in that book is apt pupil tho. Great book

[Lady Annabella]

Ooh! I liked that one too! :) They made a movie of it, didn't they? I don't know if it's any good :P

[Jackson H. Harley]

This poem is purely awesome :) I love the story it tells and the flow and rhyming within which you tell it, great work :D

[Lady Annabella]

Aw, thank you so much! :)

[Jackson H. Harley]

The pleasure's mine :)

[gavinmichaels]

I loved this. While the subject matter was dark it shone with a vibrancy and intensity that very few writers can achieve.

[Lady Annabella]

Thank you very much! :)

[gavinmichaels]

Your welcome please keep on writing such imaginative pieces

[gavinmichaels]

If you have a chance I'd love to hear your thoughts on any of my work

[The Hampstead Poet]

Great poem. Quite creepy, but works very well with the older language used such as "naught" and "'neath". This poem flows very well and I love your choice of words. A refreshing read.

[Tempeste Mavys]

This is so eerie I love it! It's such a spooky atmosphere and the descriptive language is perfect. Great job!

[Lady Annabella]

Thank you so much! :) That means a lot. I don't normally write horror, so I was a bit hesitant to upload this, but the positive feedback has been really flattering! :)

And on a completely unrelated note... You are really pretty! Sorry haha :P Random observation of the day.

[Tempeste Mavys]

Thank you! You are too!

[Tiberio Tano]

I like rhythm and rhyme so off the top I have to say you did an awesome job. Then the subject and the way you play with the words makes one shudder. Very nice job. :0

[Lady Annabella]

Thank you so much :)

[Mikayla_Stagg]

I absolutely fell in love with this poem. I usually don't care for longer poems but i loved this one. Keep up the amazing work and please write more!

[Lady Annabella]

Aww, thank you! :)

[Stanley William shura]

LOVED It! Enticingly frightful description, as well as a delightfully curious rhyme scheme. Loved your word choice and phrasing - brought about the feel of an old-fashioned scare. And your meter was *perfect*!

[Lady Annabella]

Thank you so much! :) That really means a lot! I'm glad you enjoyed it!!

- Love, Annabelle