Tuesday, November 30, 2010

The Unplanned Christmas Visitor: A Ghost Story


The worst is, I cannot overcome
the dirtiness, the uncleanness,
as if dust permanently adheres
within the shrouded folds, the
echoed whispers of what was.

I watch them jabber and laugh;
I watch them sing and play
in plastic mistletoed happiness.
I watch him who will join me, him
who receives an unexpected gift.

I seek the one who fed me
the rum punch that deadened,
the sweet pudding filled with evil.
I seek the one who gave me
the funeral feast of blackbird pies.

When we meet, I, draped in black satin,
I, gliding to a blackened dirge,
I, singing my carol of extinguishing embrace,
he will know; he will weep shards of ice;
he will sweat beads of frigid glass;
he will feel the dust within
the shrouded folds.

Poet David Wheeler is giving away a copy of his Contingency Plans: Poems. Simply (simply?) write a poem about a Christmas ghost and leave the link at David’s place by Dec. 3. I already have a copy, so my poem isn’t in the competition.


This poem is also being submitted for One Stop Poetry’s One Shot Wednesday. The links will be live at 4 p.m. central time today, and check it out for other submitted poems (there's always really good stuff there).

Photograph: Gravestone by Petr Kratochvil via Public Domain Pictures. Used with permission.

25 comments:

katdish said...

Ooo! A back story to A Christmas Carol perhaps? Love the imagery.

Louise Gallagher said...

The imagery in this poem is haunting -- oh -- A backstory? -- perhaps it is all our back story?

Linda said...

This is just brilliant Glynn. The word pictures and the mystery of the story.
Your poetry gets better and better.

Anonymous said...

oooh this gives me shivers. :)

Maureen said...

As some of my only's generation would say: Wicked!

Favorite lines: "plastic mistletoed happiness" and "the funeral feast of blackbird pies".

S. Etole said...

Wicked, indeed ... {thanks, Maureen}

Anonymous said...

Great post Glyn! Love the imagery

L.L. Barkat said...

My favorite part...

"When we meet, I, draped in black satin,
I, gliding to a blackened dirge"

Creepy and cool. :)

Anonymous said...

Oh yes most definately harking back to Dickens!

Adored it Glynn!

Shan
@Awdures

Beachanny said...

I flashed on the ghost birthday party in Harry Potter...and it made me smile...though there is a Dickensian theme running this week too. Great write. Thanks, Gay @beachanny

Steve Isaak said...

Solid side-take on a "Christmas Carol".

Reading it aloud (twice), I had some problems with line breaks-flow, but maybe I was reading it at a different pace than you meant it to be written.

Otherwise, like I said before, solid work.

dustus said...

That was absolutely chilling. I think I would have nightmares if I heard a voice like Vincent Price read the stanzas. lol Cool book give away too. Will check it out.

hedgewitch said...

Masterly first stanza, making you climb right into the grave.A close look into the dark at the kind of "spirit" of Christmas that is neither expected nor welcome.

CM said...

Wow, so spooky and cool. And one of the most intriguing opening lines, "The worst is..."!

Brock S. Henning said...

"the rum punch that deadened,
the sweet pudding filled with evil.
I seek the one who gave me
the funeral feast of blackbird pies."

Wow. That's chilling, goosebump-like...and pretty cool. :) Nice, Glynn.

signed...bkm said...

Nice ghost story....a bit eerrie...and I tend to avoid...these creatures or non-creatures....bkm

Anonymous said...

i had to read up on rum punch. it was once a very dangerous drink.

http://www.worldsstrangest.com/mental-floss/history-of-the-u-s-rum-punch/

this poem is very creepy...
even though it uses some beautiful words.

Matt Priour said...

Terrifically macabre imagery with palatable anger

Desert Rose said...

ooooohh Glynn! that was really ..scary! the depth in your words is just brilliantly represented! GREAT chilling write my friend..:)

Anonymous said...

WOW, Christmas Halloween impact! Very well done!!!

David K Wheeler said...

I love the details. Rum punch, sweet pudding: confections of a wonderful ghost poem.

Jim Swindle said...

I liked the words, "plastic mistletoed happiness." That's so descriptive of our society's artificial celebrations.

Shashidhar Sharma said...

Hi Glyn Young

Interesting write... I liked it.. beautiful details...

ॐ नमः शिवाय
Om Namah Shivaya
Twitter: @VerseEveryDay
Blog: http://shadowdancingwithmind.blogspot.com

Marshy said...

do i need to say this? this was right up my street...i loved every line..this was brilliant...the cross reminds me of the graveyard at Tintagel...my favourite place...excellent one shot pete

Unknown said...

i don't know what to say, but i'm not going to just leave...i don't come and not comment...

i'm going to stand up to that ghost! I am not afraid, that is what I will do!

Thanks for giving me the chance to exercise courage!