by Rainbow Reed
As eerie sounds stopped at last.
Pale mist gently rolled away,
With the fiery red of day
The truck swayed with nervous sounds
As on the roof dead branch pounds,
Ancient fallen soldiers slept;
From the truck his lover crept.
Not looking back, he ran home
Hurt he had been left alone.
Running through the sleeping dead,
Past statue of dripping red,
His thoughts racing for lost love,
Now swaying from branch above.
Gently moving with the breeze,
As gate slams shut…..
No trespassers please
Fractured Mind
i awake confusion hits
contorted images in my brain
body moving out of sync
mind has not returned
wild dogs; barking, howling
chase me through
dark shadowy woods
my foot catches on dead branch,
i fall into decaying leaves
cover my head with torn arms
blood drips onto my face
as the dogs descend...
i awake confusion hits,
i stumble to the kitchen
legs shaking from the chase
mind floats somewhere above,
in my kitchen people sit and chat
welcoming me with smells of tea and toast
warm happy voices fill the cramped room
i live alone...
the people melt away
leave multi coloured puddles on my floor
i tip toe around them
one touch and i’ll be sucked into the void...
my back door shakes and wobbles
glowers at me with hate
cockroaches climbing the walls
drop on my head and thud to the floor
smell like death
shaking with fear i open the door
bacteria from the handle
burning, eating into my hands
washing all day will not
rid me of the taint...
i run down garden path
suddenly a clowns head on a wire coil
bounces into me
white face vacant
thick red lips grinning
blue star eyes staring
the clown dissolves,
metamorphosing...
strange postman appears,
knife in hand
lunges violently at me
i grab the knife
stab him instead
letters cascade onto the broken path...
i awake in red satin sheets
as confusion multiples.
Free
Sirens screeched,
Split the sky.
Roosting ravens reared
As one, in
Giant cawing claw;
Casting dancing shadows,
Against the falling night.
Through flickering lights;
The concrete monster reared.
Lurking, as the
Shadows lengthened,
Leering silently
At the tiny terrace houses,
Standing
Huddled and afraid.
Sweeping searchlights
Arced and Peered
Through the entombing dark.
Stared through the
Amber greyness.
Searching while
Asylum sat
In seeping rage.
Red eyes blinking
Iron bars rattling
As shaken inmates
Screamed out in
Secret fear.
The young man sat
In the midst of darkness,
To him,
The shadows held no
Fear.
The much used siren,
Squawked and whined,
Destroyed, his empty life.
Slowly, he felt
His cluttered home.
A crazy cacophony
Of colours unseen;
Windows were shut,
Doors remained bolted,
Satisfied; the young man
Climbed his stairs
To bed.
The Monster,
Closed its yellowed eyes.
Ceased its carrion cries.
The quiet man smiled:
And listened,
Natures’ sounds began to rise:
As through the darkened day.
Autumnal winds howled
Then died.
Lashed against his
Shaking windows.
While cars crept quietly
Through the empty streets.
Suddenly, from downstairs,
Sounds of smashing glass...
House jumped,
With savage fears.
Dog door rattled and
Slammed shut.
Beloved paws padded heavily
Up creaking stairs:
Dog was coming
To bed.
Door creaked, gently open,
Soft wet tongue
On outstretched hand:
Young man ruffled,
Damp, scraggy fur.
Disturbed scents of
Mud and Sweat.
Dog licked his mouth
Sniffed at his face
Hot breathe tickled
Odours of horror.
Finally he settled
At the young mans’ feet,
Soon gently snoring in
Dog dream sleep.
The young man smiled,
At his sleeping friend
Drifting away on
Pillow of dreams…
Then blind blue eye
Flashed wide in fear,
As he heard
Beloved paws padding heavily
Up creaking stairs
To bed.
Voodoo
Brown hair faded,
Grey then left,
Dark eyes, amber
Beads of hate.
Baggy face twisted,
White with rage
From Gaping mouth,
Dripped poisoned words
As evil thoughts
Inside him stirred.
Around him air
Darkened with spite
As in day
He brought night.
Large hands gripped
A primal doll,
Its body; twigs
With white wrappings
Twisted, tightly bound,
Splintering in death.
Rudely pointing arms
Broke and crushed
In his grasp.
Its bead eyes
Glassy amber flashes.
Green moss hair,
Now dried brown
Flaked and fell.
Slyly, he opened,
Stolen sewing box
Of simple pine.
Removed three rusting
Bead headed pins.
Humming, he struck
At dolls' head,
Wished employers dead,
Never gave him
Job he deserved.
Next in eye,
Friends waving goodbye,
Vague lost faces,
In his mind.
Took final red
Glass beaded pin.
Pricked finger; bled
Drops of red,
Fell onto white
Of little doll.
Violently, he thrust
Last brown pin
Into dolls' heart,
Cursed his family,
Old and young,
They never gave
Him total love
Or enough money.
Lightning struck inside
His dissolving mind,
Amber eyes flashed
As darkness fell,
Clutched his heart,
; Beating too fast,
Little doll dropped,
Smashed against floor,
Bald head lolling,
Amber eyes bulging,
Open mouth frozen
In final scream.
As wet red
Halo encircled head.
Man and doll
Collapsed on floor.
The Cottage Garden
The cottage sat daintily in the lane.
Glistening in the warm May rain,
Russet roof tiles, glowed orange and gold,
In patch work of encroaching mould.
The red brick chimney reached tall and proud,
Chimney pots smoking lost in cloud
While the modified ivy twisted and grew...
Surrounded by a sweet, soft petal shore,
Flowers clawed at the front door.
Black velvet tulips stood aloft and tall,
Dicenthra bled by garden wall.
Yellow pansies frowned garish and loud,
Forget- me- nots made blue shroud
While the modified ivy twisted and grew...
Framed by the perfect pansy border,
Green grasses waved to order,
Dark emerald blades cut short and neat,
Bowed at trees restless feet.
Magnolia rose and filled the sky
Shielding all from passers by
As the modified ivy grew twisting...
Magnolia moved in the breeze,
Tear drops sparkled on the leaves,
Branches tentatively tapped the wall,
Small red drips began to fall,
Splashed the blossoms crimson upon white,
Made a very pretty sight.
As twisted the modified ivy grew....
At shuttered window the woman stared,
Saw a hummingbird and glared.
It settled in the shimmering vine coil
Squawked and fell onto the soil.
Deep brown spotted, golden vine trickled red,
As poor hummingbird lay dead.
As modified and twisted the ivy grew...
The creeper crept with serpentine skill,
Moving towards the windowsill,
Brown mottled vine merged with shadowy light
Yellow eyes and hunters sight.
It found the woman watching from windowsill,
Crushed her; such an easy kill,
And modified and twisted the ivy grew...
Prayers
Jimmy Choos’ stalked across the floor,
Ripping, clawing against the antiqued oak,
Stuttered, stiffened; listened to deep silence
Then slowly circled, nowhere once more.
The gold straps coiled around her calf’s,
Winding, binding, painfully twisting…
D. and G. suit clinging about her,
Her grey silk blouse rustled in the breeze,
While around her stalk, staccato sounds
Hung, heavily in the air.
Iphone, sleek black, gripped in her hand,
Silky skin, hung with heavy gold.
Tiffany watched ticked out her life,
Loudly chimed, while seconds slowed.
Once the phone throbbed with human voice,
But now lay an empty, silenced shell.
Iphone, deceased, flew through the flat,
Into lurking black mouthed Aga,
Exploded as a bank of grey smoke,
Hung, heavily in the air.
Her deal was done, her life’s work gone,
Lost in arteries of cyber space.
Dragging away her friends and colleagues.
Empty. Amputated. Alone.
She sought solace in some simpler things,
Unearthed an unwanted angel.
Lit Jo Malone candles and prayed.
Warm, rich red wax, dripped and ran.
As odours of frankincense and myrrh,
Hung, heavily in the air.
A warm wind rustled her Harrods’ blinds,
Caressed her neck with heated breathe,
Waving candles danced and died.
Slowly she slid into silent sleep.
Watching angel smiled and stared,
The moon faded from an empty sky,
As sunlight stretched into the room.
The landline screamed, her job reborn.
While the body of her manager,
Hung, heavily in the air.
Angel twisted its head towards her.
Happiness melted; horror oozed.
She had prayed for a second chance,
Consequences careered together.
Her hands stained red with innocent blood
Chiselled grey eyes of cold intentions...
Another soul to savour slowly...
Fractured images of future life,
Hung heavily in the air.
An eternity of servitude,
No life, no hope, or resting in peace…
Alabaster angel leered hungrily.
Trembling, woman came towards him,
Hair by Hari’s covered her face.
Angel glowed: someone was praying.
Another desperate soul to steal,
Silently, woman tied Ipad lead
One end to fan, one to angels’ neck,
Shocked face of angel spun around fast.
Then just...
Hung, heavily in the air.
Lady In Black
She follows me from room to room,
Footsteps echoing in the gloom.
Softly her boots tap up the stair,
Scents of lavender fill the air.
In mirrored reflections, she waits,
Her fractured face just stares and hates.
I catch glimpses of long black dress,
Wrapped tightly in loving caress.
Then vanishes into a mist,
I breathe in the air that she kissed.
Black eyes watch as in bed I lie,
They laugh and tease, I slowly die.
No one believes that she is there,
Just following me everywhere.
Grey Eyes In The Deep
The sea rolled in,
The waves rushed out,
Snatching, ripping, dragging
The terrified, tumbling peddles
Into a greedy sea.
Damp rocks glistened
Sparkled and shone, while
Through softly swaying
Seaweed shadows
A sullen darkness stared.
Black rocks clawed
Through sinking sands,
Glinting, oozing, hiding
Under algae hoods.
Silently watching,
Waiting…
Alone.
He stood.
Amongst sharpened cliffs.
Gazing at a black sea shadow.
Among white sea waters
Playful people splashed
Whispering, laughing pointing,
Met his gaze
Turned away
Shadow snaked through
Tumbling seas
Dull grey eyes fixed
Unblinking, staring
Rushing through the foam.
Dull grey eyes
Watched in unblinking stare
Hating, loathing, lusting
Beneath the happy mob,
A black shape rippled
Cutting through
The jumbling waves.
Young man waved,
A shouted warning
People laughed and turned away.
Waves rushed in from everywhere
Children caught off guard screamed
And wobbling women waded in
Sudden flash of white fanged jaw
Glowing, glinting, shining
In the summers sun.
Black shape torpedoed
through the crowd
Wove and spun
through the tumbling torsos.
&
nbsp; Serrated tail sliced
Swimmers in two;
As long neck stretched,
Twisting, searching, ripping
Feeding off the floating flesh.
Azure sea glowed bright red.
People screamed arms flailed in fear
As silently
He watched
And waved.
The Hunter
The trees crouched
Naked.
Huddled against the
Snapping,
Icy,
Breeze.
Branches woven,
Clinging together.
Arthritic twigs
Splintered and bent
As shimmering ivy
Slowly encircled
Their moss draped
Bodies.
Crumbling black bark,
Wrinkled with age,
Dropped,
Silently,
Onto the barren
Earth.
Alone,
The yew tree
Towered,
Over the bowing
Dwarfen trees.
Fanning branches,
Blocked out the sky.
Walls of sallow bark,
Twisted like
Grotesque,
Dancing,
Wooden statues.
Dark knots erupted
From within the
Bark,
Screaming faces.
A gaping hole
Oozed darkness
Where its heart
Had weathered away…
A musty odour
Floated on the
Biting Breeze.
Camouflaged
Hunter coughed
And hid.
Waiting for his
Prey.
Eerie sense of being
Watched.
Sudden crack,
Of whip like
Branch,
Pins him
Inside the
Tree.
Screaming,
Merging
Into the
Bark,
As first green
Shoots of
Spring
Appear.
The Mystic Isle
The isle arose from swirling mists,
Slicing through the broken skies,
Lurking beneath the whitened waters,
Dark hungry fangs of piercing stone
Impatiently waiting for their prey:
