Tag: poetry

The Haunting

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment
Photo by Suzy Hazelwood from Pexels

The manor door creeps open as the cold breeze shuffles red leaves.

Pale moon sneaks through the branches, it watches the lake breathe.

I walk to the old cemetery and learn every gravestone by heart.

The greenhouse keeps calling me, but my brain is covered in darts.

The pain pushes through the skull and breathes on my trembling spine,

I hear shadows in the distance whispering, “she is mine, mine, mine”.

Silky windows stare back at me like a nightmare encapsulated,

But every time I blink, the faces of the ghouls grow more faded.

And the manor door shuts behind me like a cold and sudden goodbye.

Dying stars stare back at my wide eyes, singing a haunting lullaby.

-JW

The Old Ways

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment
Photo by Elijah O’Donnell from Pexels

You lit black torches in the dark room as I had a blindfold over my eyes.

The dry flowers in the corners grinned, the stench kept away fruit flies.

My skin lost all its pattern when the moon climbed over the horizon,

Grey creatures yelled into my scared face, asking what I was hiding.

They kept me chained to a heavy bed until my limbs felt defenseless.

I cried loud when I tried to escape, so they burned down the fences.

A demon wept in the closet, it tried hard to break my soul in half.

My lungs screeched and growled until I spooked it away with my laugh.

You lit my palms on fire and caressed my hair as the room shook.

The salt on the doorstep ignited, burning down your notes and books.

I looked at the face of my own failure and could not hide a smile.

There has been a beast inside of me, it has been there for a while.

-JW

You

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment
Photo by Elias Tigiser on Pexels

It is not enough for me to only see you wrapped in the shadows.

As the rain falls through the dark, your voice makes me hollow.

It is not enough for me to only chase you in the palest reflections.

As the candlelight bridges rivers, I have so much spare affection.

It is you I want, it is you I chase like a long forgotten lullaby.

As I wrap my hands around their necks, you are my final alibi.

It is clear – even the creases in your dress are flirting with me.

As you walk home each obscure night, I pray for your courtesy.

It is not a secret, you want me to step into the darkness with you.

As the fog clears, your irises are painted in the softest of hues.

It is not enough for me to only see you wrapped in vibrant life.

As the sun hides, I take your limp body back into the deep night.

-JW

Crimson Peak

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment
Photo by Flora Westbrook from Pexels

The bottom of your beige dress leaks bright crimson on the floor,

And your velvet shoes leave red footprints by the bedroom door.

The voices follow, they swing steadily like oak branches in the wind.

You lock your chambers and kill the lights, but still hear their hymns.

There are strangers by the window, cursing out your family name,

And the night will not be over until your sheets drip in shame.

The clock in the study counts down bodies buried in the backyard,

Their ghosts float over you, shooting daggers at your naïve heart.

The storm roars as snowflakes sneak through the holes in your roof.

All the candles start burning at once, leading you towards proof.

But you knew for a while, you just chose to breathe in love fumes,

And the night will not be over until you save the souls of the doomed.

-JW

The Guilty

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment

Their tongues snake around my ankles, hissing angrily.

I near the fire until the sparks illuminate my fragility.

No, they cannot take it, I must keep it in my pockets,

Must re-bury my scorched heart in a box and lock it.

We are all guilty here, but I do not want their venom.

I take their flasks, then spill them all over my denim.

It angers the snake pit, it adds fuel to the flame,

And they push me into the light, into my hidden blame.

I pull back from the warmth and let them bite down,

Their teeth clack on my skin, and it shakes the town.

My knees are glued to the ground as I give up the power,

Waiting for them to finally crush me and then devour.

Instead, I see the guilt evaporate from my bruised skin,

As someone whispers, “We cannot let the guiltless win.”

-JW

The Lighthouse

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment
Photo by Skitterphoto on Pexels

You said I was a lone island with a tall lighthouse in the center, overseeing the seven seas.

You said I was a ruthless king, making laws as I was breaking them, never hearing anyone’s pleas.

I aimed for the throat before I met you, I slashed necks without looking in the victim’s eyes,

But you knew I could not point my blade at you, I could not tie you down with a hundred ties.

You told everyone my stories, and the reflection got distorted enough for me to lose myself.

You spun the mirrors until the image swallowed me, it turned me into a figurine on a shelf.

You said I was a frightening sea creature, luring sailors in my nets, cutting open their dreams.

And no matter how loud I said that you were a liar, your voice still drowned out my screams.

-JW

Paper Castles

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment
Photo by InstaWalli on Pexels

We were poor kids with paper castles in our heads and dirt on our feet,

Looking up to adults too headstrong to kill their deceit.

We played games in haunted sheds and climbed on fragile rooftops,

Chasing the one thing to bring us peace when the laughter stops.

We were just kids, throwing rocks into puddles and at shiny cars,

Spinning in circles just to see some constellations in dying stars.

We led battalions through neglected lawns towards a victory,

And we wasted away the last years when we could live a fantasy.

I was a dreamer back then, stuck in my perfect little lagoons.

Secretly they all knew I was meant to grow up a decade too soon.

As the others explored every nook and cranny of our neighborhood,

I slipped through the cracks and signed away my youth for good.

But I was just a kid, so I did not second-guess or mourn the loss,

Although the childlike glee of others stung, I carried it like a cross.

They were poor kids back then, too young to be scared or scorned,

Too naïve to know what it feels like when the paper castle is torn.

-JW

These Northern Winds

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment
Photo by Tanya Gorelova from Pexels

The strong winds push me closer to the ground as I start ascending.

My left cheek is cut open by the sharp cliffs, yet my neck is not bending.

“Is this all you can do, is this all the wrath that you can unleash?”

The winds used to wrap me up, now they choke on their own leash.

And they swore I could climb these hills with the right inspirations,

They second guessed my every argument, called it childish hesitation.

As I am putting one foot in front of the other, I feel it in my bones –

These Northern winds only loved me when I was scared and alone.

They are out of rat runs to hide in, they must pin me to the ground,

The coldness of their breath hunts me down like a wild hound,

And the honed breezes try to knock me over at each turn I take.

I am weak, but I cannot wait for them to burn me at the stake.

The rugged path ahead puts my bruised limbs on autopilot,

My feet rush through the stiff branches as the rain becomes violent.

And my boots sink into the muddy surface, yet I pick up the pace.

As soon as I reach the summit, the sky clears, but it cannot save face.

-JW

Matches

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment
Photo by Bestbe Models from Pexels

We are not supposed to run towards the fire,

We are not meant to burn things we admire.

Yet, we step over instincts like cigarette butts,

All for some new taste to disrupt our ruts.

And I was the first fire you could not put out,

You would have used fists if that was allowed.

My voice raised alarms and broke some fences,

Two days later you ran out of defenses.

You hated my guts, yet you could not leave.

Some would even mistake the pressure for gleam.

The magnetic field never let you off the hook,

Your instincts got burned, you went off book.

I burned you alive as the crowd was watching,

Still, you gave me all your spare matches.

-JW

Crystal Clear

jackiewrightauthorLeave a comment
Photo by Lucas Pezeta from Pexels

I see it crystal clear now, I am just a steppingstone for your ambition.

It hurts to know you only smile when I hand you my hard-earned ammunition.

When you fire away at them, you use me as your bulletproof glass,

Then leave me alone when I stumble home, wounded and lacking your class.

You spill your drinks on my pastel dresses and laugh whenever I protest.

I wonder what would happen if I became the antagonist and make you confess.

Still, my disgrace precedes me, all because of your unapologetic tongue.

And I am not sure if I care anymore, you ruined me when I was way too young.

Their cheap talk runs by my ears like a river you wanted to drown me in.

They all know you do not love me, yet they all know I am your favorite sin.

I see it crystal clear now, you want to smother me in the cheapest of deceits.

It must hurt to know that it is you, not me heading towards the great defeat.

-JW