Dead of Night

There’s a man at the door
 And he’s standing alone
And he’s staring at stone
Is he simply a drone?

There’s a man at the door
Teetering to-and-fro
A vacant puppet show
Dead not too long ago

There’s a man at the door
There’s something in his hand
Dripping red in the sand
Pituitary gland?

There’s a man at the door
He’s pounding to get in
Wants me for my sin,
 Flesh, bone, blood, meat and skin

There’s a man at the door
And he’s almost inside
His flesh begins to slide
My whole world is belied

There’s a man in the house
Disoriented lout
Lumbering all about
A backdoor to sneak out?

There’s a girl in the garden
A woman at her side
A dentist and a bride
Death quite personified

There are teeth in my neck
And some against my cheek
Much too painful to shriek
My sight becomes oblique

***

There’s a man next to me
We stagger, groan and grunt
Me behind, he in front
Together we shall hunt.

 

Author's Note

I have quite an irrational fear. I was surprised to learn recently that there is actually a categorized phobia for this fear of mine called kinemortophobia, which is a fear of the undead. I know that it�s probably (probably!) impossible for something like a zombie to exist, but that doesn�t stop them from scaring the bejeezuz out of me. If I were to rationalize the fear, it probably has something to do with my fear of conformity. Well, that, and the very idea of being eaten alive tends to put a crimp in my day. Weirdly enough, I have absolutely no fear vampires. I suppose it�s because they retain their intelligence, while zombies function upon instinct alone.

Reviews

[Lorna Lee]

I do not see how a fear of the undead could be construed as "irrational" Damian. In fact, anyone who doesn't acknowledge this as a fear or concern, would worry me. Unless of course your imagination stops at the edges of our own "realm" for lack of a better term. I thoroughly enjoyed this depiction of your phobia and I couldn't help but picture scenes from "Shawn of the Dead". I figured out what your phobia was before even reading your Authors Note. Very nicely done...! ~Lorna Lee

[Mr. Misanthrope]

The first verse reminded me a lot of ' The Stone Troll' (not sure if I'm getting the name right) by J. R. R. Tolkien. Otherwise, I found the poem quite funny, something which Tim Burton could model one of his brilliant films on. Not sure whether it was your intention to make this poem funny, seeing as how you have a fear of the undead.

-Luke :)

[cyanskye]

Great job. I love the marching cadance of the poem as it is read and the skillful use of "Pituitary Gland"!! You have to remember that the great thing about zombies is that they can not fly. Oh sure, there are the new, faster moving zombies but really, given a nice car or motorcycle, you could still outrun them, only to be stopped in the middle of the road by a stupid flying vampire. I prefer ghosts, as I can always use the sheets or Frankenstein's Monster, because he can dance!

[HoorayForUnderdog]

Irrational or not, any fear is legitimate. I fear vampires more because I figure I would at least be able to outrun a lumbering zombie...maybe? Nice disgusting undead photo to go along with the poem!

[Candle in the wind]

A hill went down my spine , what a terrible fear to be haunted by!

[J. James Reider]

you have an irrational fear, I have an irrational obsession... the belief in the undead dates back centuries, if not milennia, I remember seeing Night of the Living Dead when I was a kid, the movie blew my mind... it freaked me out too... but as time went by, I don't know, it kind of gripped me and I can't get enough of the stuff.... excellent poem!

[Tania Leigh]

Truly an interesting fear, and well expressed in your poem. I love the rhyming in this as well as the gruesome imagery....nicely done!

Thank you for entering the contest!

[Princess_ck84]

Dark and beautifuly writen, while at the same time creeped me out lol. You've captured your fear very well, and also have captured the immages and experiences quite masterfully. I am a fan of zombie or undead images and/or films and you've portrayed it authentically.
I tip my hat to you sir, good luck with the contest this is entered in! Very good job!!

[Pinky]

very deep write... i understand it in a way!

[[untitled]]

Not really my cup o' tea, to be honest, but it was still quite good. You chose a difficult rhyme scheme and maintained a steady, plodding, inexorable momentum to its unanticipated end.

My darkest fears are considerably less abstract...

[Rosalie Barrows]

I read through a lot of your work and this one keeps coming back to me in my mind. Very well done.