On Walking With A Ghost

Yesternight, for a while,

When the doors were closed,

I heard a howl from an alluring primrose:

'Arise, Awake lest wear a cloak,

It's twelve, it's midnight

Our turn to explore!'

Amazed, afraid yet stunned from this roar,

I stepped, and ran towards the front door.

I peeped up and down,

Around all its cores,

But nothing except a melody was all I could explore!

Curious, Agitated,

With a thirst to know more,

I sat restless

Gazing at the door.

_Again came a shrill cry,

Of a man once known,

'May I enter, enter the door

And have some toast?' _

_Oh! All I could listen

Was to give him a toast,

But ah! I could'nt see

His head or ..even, nose! _

_I wondered, I wandered,

I could see him for sure,

But ah! This figure

I could see not anymore. _

_I turned back and walked towards my room's floor,

While I felt some steps, following me for sure

I ceased, I turned, and looked at the door,

But couldn't see anything once more!

Before I sat in disgust,

Next to a pillow_

_I was hungry and thirsty,

So couldn't resist more,

And cozily teared a packet

To have some toast_

_But oh! a bite from it,

Or more,

Gave me chills, and shudders

Of kinds I've never had before! _

_I turned back,

Saw a black, big ghost,

I cried out loud,

And he stared more and more

He patted my shoulders,

Casually ya know!_

_His eyes bulging, intensely red,

And puffy as if he never slept ya know,

His skin was stained,

With humanish gore.

Stinking as if he had never bathed before_

_His nails so, long,

His figure so stout,

His cheeks and neck

Were a sorry sight

Oh! I dreaded seeing him,

And mostly looked out.

Wondering, praying when he could that left Me in my house_

_He sensed my annoyance,

The disgust I had then,

He sensed that I was scared,

From this ghostly man!_

_He smiled a smile,

Mysteriously wild,

I wondered then why,

He asked me to sit, saying

'Come close, sit comfy here, dear child'

Saying twould all be perfectly alright!

If I'd have a seat

And plan not to fight.

Not to chide_

_Puzzled, annoyed, yet

I listened to it all,

As I sat down firmly,

In my dreary dining hall_

_He sat when I sat,

And asked me for small,

A glass of water, some toast

And shawls_

_I handed him some toast,

In his palms too large,

And served him water,

In a vessel much large_

_He ate and drank,

And burped so high,

And asked me

For a shawl,

As twas late midnight_

_Scared, agitated,

I still dared to stammer and ask,

'May I know why thee need a shawl?

You look to un-human,

Behave not like us even,

I'm sure, you're a ghost,

From some hearthy heaven!_

_What makes ya come in my

Room afterall,

As I know the main door was locked from the hall?

And While all are asleep, in this night too dark?' _

_He grinned,

He smiled,

Like a man too wise,

While his eyes were full

Of lament's skies.

He Replied with a sigh,

With angst, undelight,

Bleeding, expressing it all from his eyes: _

_'Ya got it right,

Ya got it right,

I'm a loveless,

Forsaken, deserted knight,

Once loved, twice rejected,

And sent to demise,

By my children, and thence by dear wife!'. _

I begged for my food,

I begged for my home,

But Oh what I got?

Was a life alone!

I loved them most,

They hated me utmost,

I was fooled by the ones

Who I thought were so close!

I lost my health,

I lost my wealth,

I lost much more,

That I can't express anymore,

I lost my body,

Because of them therefore!

But ah! This time,

The time and our deeds,

Yield just that

What we best deserve indeed!

No more, no less

In that right quantity!

I begged for them then,

They beg, beg now,

I was loved not by them then,

No one loves them now,

And oh what they are they,

Is but a sad, sad clown!

And ah what they earn,

From the folks,

Is but just a dirty frown!

This shawl oh girl,

That I asked from ya to give,

Was for my unfortunate,

Unhealthy, unfortunate kids.

I can't see them weep,

And beg at streets,

I can't see them starve,

For their slightest meal.

_I tread in dark,

And sob at my kids,

I sob at my destiny,

I wish, I wish

I could at least pamper them!

My only precious kids!

And a shawl this night,

In this chilly, frosty night,

Would what I think,

Would be the best present,

For my dear, deserted,

unloved children

To rest in this night.

So cold to else awaken.

and watch the other day's light!

I walked with him,

He walked with me,

He showed me the place,

Where lay his children,

In an utterly bad state.

my eyes had tears,

that fled with regret,

At what I saw,

I couldn't really believe,

How pathetic it was.

I asked him to wait,

Ran back to my house,

And collected all the shawls

I got then that very night.

I came back running,

With the heap of shawls,

While my tears knew no end,

I knew not ,how to stop them at all!

He grabbed the shawls,

Handed it to them,

But ah those kids!

Couldn't feel his hands.

He smiled and sobbed

At this intense instance,

And greeted me well,

With his shivering, grand hands!

He asked me to leave,

He asked for his leave,

With his heart at sleeves,

And his eyes reflecting ghostly glee,

While he vanished in grey,

into nowhere, but somewhere

In those dusty, grey streets.

I still wonder what happened to me,

Why did such a good Ghost,

Came to meet me?

And Touched me in a way,

And I still may never have believed!

That happened to me truly.

Author's Note

Expressing a 'good' Ghost in this piece :)
Probably one of my first attempt at writing horror poem.

(P.S-This poem is completely fictional)

All your feedback, suggestions etc are most welcome as always :)
And do let me how well have have I grabbed this genre and done justice to it.

Thanks and happy reading!
(((Hugs)))❤️

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

This ghost may be dilapidated, grungy, smelly....but the heart is as it was in life...
big as heaven. All he can worry about is his kids....not himself....
Scarier than the ghost itself is the way his ex treated him, what she put him through.
I really got into this write...the tense changes in the last stanza are a bit trippy.
But otherwise, it is a good journey that builds in momentum.

j.

[Saumya]

Thanks Jacob :)
so glad you liked it!

[emmajoygreen]

A long saga worth reading, start to finish because there is so much drama laid stanza by stanza, Saumya. You showed your ghost as the worst of creatures, scary and dripping with all the worst of the word Ghost but somehow, and finely, you set a post laid first as horror, along pathos to a sad dramatic conclusion.

'I still wonder what happened to me,
Why did such a good Ghost,
Came to meet me?
And Touched me in a way,
And I still may never have believed!'

Great pictures added!

[Amy R]

WOW.
such a great piece. Honestly I felt it was so real, like I went on that same walk with the "Good ghost."
Definitely enjoy it.
Thanks for sharing.

[Chris Shaw]

An epic poem you have narrated here Sauma. A ghost with a soft heart. Yes he still had a heart. Wanting to do his best for his children. He didn’t frighten me. Really enjoyed your story telling here.

Chris

[Omikron]

Loved the eerie vibe skillfully wrapped up in comedic relief as portrayed in this poem. It was quite a read, but I enjoyed every second of it. Impressive if this is your first horror-themed poem, I would love to read more of these from you. Great job!

// O

[Najam Us Saher]

With your words, you took me on a walk with the ghost too. Very well described.

[Saumya]

Hehe...Aw! So glad to hear that Najam😊
((Hugs))❤️

[Ace Jaxon]

I love the playful energy from this piece, It was quite beautiful and I found myself imagining you giving this ghost a shaw, absolutely amazing how much energy is in this piece. I hope to read more from you in the future. :) This piece is definitely one of my favorites, although it can come across creepy, but as you said that's what you were going for, so it was beautifully done.

[Pete]

that's quite an apparition you paint. so deeply felt and described. i suspect that there are some nonfictional elements or observations contained herein. there was an escalating intensity as i read.

this verse in particular spoke to me -

I begged for them then,
They beg, beg now,
I was loved not by them then,
No one loves them now,
And oh what they are they,
Is but a sad, sad clown!
And ah what they earn,
From the folks,
Is but just a dirty frown!

[John the Baptist]

Most ghosts are frightening, mysterious. This guy is in need of a bath and a sermon. Maybe he should try the Union Mission.

[Coyote Poetry]

This is amazing. I had to read again dear Saumya. You create an amazing story line, and I loved the conversation. This was an outstanding epic tale my friend.
Coyote

[Ted Kniffen]

A good first horror poem. I like the interaction between the ghost and the human ... there is a twist to this that would not qualify it as horror I think. The ghost is hardly ghoulish or even frightening ... but that is the attraction here. Not all ghosts need to be scary and not all ghosts should lose that touch of humanity that existed while they were alive. This you conveyed quite well.

A good write Saumya.