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

[Fran Marie]

An eerie write to be sure~ I suppose there's a phobia for just about everything and anything~well DonE!Indeed!~Fran Marie

[Raef C. Boylan]

I'm afraid of werewolves but not so much vampires - I think it's related to vampires being still in a semi-human state, thus retaining the possibility of reasoning with them, whereas werewolves and zombies are reduced to a monster-state, focused only on killing; no intellect with which to communicate ideas or be enticed into hesitation. It could also be, like you say, the being eaten alive part.
[NB: not trying to scare you more, but some conflicting theories on vampires suggest that they'd be zombie-like, obsessed with blood-drinking and little else, with no personality].

Good poem. The ABBB rhyme scheme works really well to carry the rhythm and flow, and also direct the pace. I liked the nervy, half-pompous way in which this was narrated; it added humour [sorry, I know it's your fear, but this piece is kind of funny] and also allowed you to describe events in an unusual way.
The final stanza contrasts with this slightly; it's more simplified, which further conveys the idea of being condensed down to a primitive state, where hunger and violence reign.

Overall, an entertaining portrait of your phobia.
Good luck in the contest.

[Ryan D. Mosley]

Ahhhh Damian, I like it. I like it alot my man. The rhyme was what really made the piece come to life. However, this poem could be made even better. You could throw in a stanza or two that describes the undead. Tell about their rotted flesh, their fear ripping groan, their evil faces...Woah, now I'm getting scared. Really great end to the poem..."Together we shall hunt"

Overall: Good Job!

[Beautifully Tragic xPoe..]

Interesting. I never knew there was such a phobia. I enjoyed this piece, gives a bit of a creepy fear to it.

Great Write.
Rayne

[GRIMM]

I rarely read rhyming poetry that interests me, but I think you've nailed it here. There's a man at the door. I like how it repeats, and it's got a real eerie sort of feel. It is also cool how it changes up toward the end. Great read!

[Sparrow]

Eegh creepy. I think it's perfectly sane to have a fear of the undead. If a zombie knocked on my door I'd freak the hell out!