This poem was originally a rather long short story, which I whittled down to just under 500 words for a contest last year. I came across it again this morning and decided to turn it into a poem. It’s rather long for a poem, but give it a read if you’ve got the time. I think you will find it to be quite entertaining.
A Soft Knocking
In my very bones I could feel
The morning dampness
My dark and dreary world
Having steeped in slow rain
Throughout the long and silent night
The lamp flickering on my desk
Cast a warm glow upon my work
But did nothing to ease the chill in the room
A faint ringing in the distance
Not something I often heard
A carriage bell
Rushed a chill through my veins
Then a woman’s scream
Sliced the cold morning air
I moved quickly to my window
And with trembling hand
Eased the curtain aside
A coffin-like visage approached
The light snap of a whip sounded
The steed… paying it no mind
Continued at a slow trot
Then fought the bit with turn of head
When the driver pulled back on rein and brake
Sliding the coach to a stop
I turned away
Knowing with sick dread
The carriage had come for me
Then… wishing not to see
Yet knowing I must
I turned back to the window
The driver stared forward
Face hidden by shadow of brim
The stallion looked over its shoulder
Eyes wild and gleaming
Snorting steam from black nostrils
As…
The door swung slowly wide
And a slender leg
Clad in white silk stocking
Appeared at the coach door
Then fell to the muddy road
A river of blood flowing
From the severed limb
Again, I turned away
An angry fist squeezing my heart
And I knew with instant dread
Never more
Would my pen scratch the page
I heard the “Yaw” of the driver
A crack of the knotted whip
The scream of the beaten steed
Piercing the damp air
Like an ice pick
Through a warm beating heart
And then…
There came at my door…
A soft knocking
My aged eyes watered
As one icy tear trickled
Slowly… down my rugged cheek
Not knowing how I’d arrived there
I stood looking at the great door
My mind fighting to stay my hands
As they moved toward the bolt
And once again there came…
A soft knocking
Of its own accord
The door swung slowly open
And from behind me
A small hand gently pushed
I stumbled into the deep blackness
Outside my castle door
Light had fled my world
Tumbling…
I floated through the darkness
Lungs burning as I breathed
The vile substance in which I flew
Suddenly…
I knew
With solemn certainty
It was the taste
The smell
The feel…
Of ink
I knew, too…
Who it was had come to fetch me
‘Twas all those of whom I had written
In my years at the desk
Those whose lives I had created
Then taken
Oft in brutal fashion
In the dark stories I’d told
But the cruelest of my acts
Was the shunning of the one
In white silk stockings
Who wanted naught
From the world
But my un-given love
For this sin
I will forever hear
As I tumble through my madness
… a soft knocking
Copyright © 2012 C. Mashburn
I’ll be sharing this with dVerse Poets Pub tomorrow afternoon on their Open link Night #77. First one of 2013!
Click on the title to read the condensed short story version —> A Soft Knocking
lenwilliamscarver said
OH!!! what a wonderful but eerie poem. Makes me rethink of all those I have ‘offed’ in my writes and perhaps 2013 will be my year to write dream sequences to bring them back …LOL
I really liked this but you definitely scared me.
charlesmashburn said
Sorry to scare you, Len, but I’m glad you like it!
catnipoflife said
Charles, this is deep! This is one you do not read one time and move on…
charlesmashburn said
Thank you very much, Sharla! The link to the story versions are at the bottom of the page if you’re interested!
catnipoflife said
Thank you!
brian miller said
snap…dang man, this is amazing..put me in the mind of poe a bit…the leg and rivers of blood snapped me to attention…the smell of ink….i agree this is one to return to , to truly grasp its depth…stellar write man…
charlesmashburn said
And there it is! My first snap-dang of the year (my first ever, actually). Thanks, Brian! You nmade my day/year!
claudia said
oh my goodness…you should’ve seen my eyes…getting wider and wider…ha…i will be careful what i write about from now on…ugh…smiles
happy new year to you charles
charlesmashburn said
Oh? I love it when I make their eyes get big! HA!
Thanks, Claudia! Happy New Year to you, too!
kelly said
fabulous… love the ending, the way you drew us further and further in…. i agree with brian, great flavors of Poe.
charlesmashburn said
Thank you very much, Kelly! I’m glad you like it!
Mary said
Charles, this is eerier than your usual. I like it when a poet changes his/her approach. Definitely Edgar Alan Poe-ish! Happy New Year to you.
charlesmashburn said
I agree, this is a step to the side for me. Not a voice I often use, but I loved writing it. Thank you, Mary!
stuartmcphersonpoet said
Charles- you have got some Edgar Allen Poe shit going down here!…This is gothic!…conjured up imagery and feelings that I love…and ink for blood?….well, that soft knocking…with all the best will in the world…i hope it never stops
charlesmashburn said
Thanks for the great compliment, Stu! I’ glad you enjoyed this!
jasmine calyx said
Holy cats, Charles! This is awesome!!! I just love that last stanza. GREAT story. 🙂
charlesmashburn said
Wonderful! Thank you very much, Jasmine! I’m glad you like it!
Martin Shone said
Stunning!
charlesmashburn said
Thank you very much, Martin!
Miriam E. said
oooh very chilling… vivid imagery – i hope i can sleep tonight! great work…
charlesmashburn said
Oh, you’ll sleep fine, Miriam. Sure would be a hoot if someone came soft knocking on your door though!
Thank you!
Grace said
A different voice but enjoyed the story Charles ~ I like the premise of the sins or omissions from the writer ~
And its good to change voices and style & give your readers an unexpected twist ~ (For me, it means going to another blog)
Happy New Year ~
charlesmashburn said
Thank you very much, Grace! Happy New Year to you, too!
wolfsrosebud said
like totally not typical of your work… nice job
charlesmashburn said
Yes’m. A bit out there for me. Thank you!
naramalone said
smile…possibly there is justice in life
Clever. Loved this.
charlesmashburn said
Thank you very much, Nara!
markwindham said
nicely done, very Poe-esque
charlesmashburn said
Thank you very much, Mark!
Katie! said
Absolutely Love this!! Dark, creeepy!! Definitively reminded me of Poe!! 🙂
charlesmashburn said
It’s not often that dark and creepy are comments on my writing, but in this case they are quite wonderful! Thank you, Katie!
Kelvin S.M. said
..i agree with the rest for qouting Edgar Allan Poe here.. your poem reads almost conveying the same feel as what Poe often did in his poetry but yours of course more of a contemporary approach… and though this goes too dark for me i’m glad you focussed with a single voice in guiding us through the entire scene… great offering for the year…
..happy new year… smiles…
charlesmashburn said
Actually, it’s too dark for me, too. I don’t go this route much anymore.
THank you, Kelvin, and Happy New Year to you, too!
ManicDdaily said
Yikes! A bit of an Edgar Allan Poe poem! Very chilling. k.
charlesmashburn said
Thank you, k!
Tony said
Oh… My … Goodness!!! Glad I read this one in the morning – it sure made my eyes open wide!
charlesmashburn said
See! Who needs coffee? Thanks, Tony!
lucychili said
the revenge of poems past =)
charlesmashburn said
Ha! That’s a good point! Thanks, Lucy!
Susan said
Wow! I did not expect HORROR when I entered this world, but it came at me as loud as a “Telltale Heart” and I knew it as a poet’s nightmare (Quite literally!)–by end I looked over my shoulder to see what and who I had created and abandoned or created to abuse . . . It is so magical to be moved poetically by such a story. I loved it!!
charlesmashburn said
Thank you for the awesome comment, Susan!
ayala said
A great write, a bit of Poe, excellent! Happy new year.
charlesmashburn said
Thank you very much, Ayala!
Sabio Lantz said
That was a very interesting short story (broken into stanzas), I enjoyed it a great deal. Nicely done !
Where did you come up with that idea? Was that an actual character in another story? I actually thought this was going to be Santa Clause — due to the season. I would have been very disappointed if it had been death.
For me story would have been more fun if it had been a bit more realistic — for example, not in a castle. It would have been a real psychological internal thriller then — otherwise, it turns into pure fiction for me. Am I clear on that?
charlesmashburn said
It is definitely pure fiction; one of those stories that just popped into my head and came rushing out. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
coastalmom said
A wonderfully, disturbingly oxy moronish masterful work of art!
charlesmashburn said
Thanks, I think. My attention was immediately captured by the word “moronic”. ??
mindlovemisery said
Oh this is absolutely wonderful Charles! The atmosphere you have created I could see this as clearly as a movie I was completely sucked in and the concept I absolutely love. I don’t want t think what my characters would do to me lol
charlesmashburn said
I’ve read a lot of crime novels, and many of the writer’s of them could probably relate to this.
Thanks!
mindlovemisery said
I bet so =)
Old Grizz said
a lot of nice comments..all of them good and well deserved. I loved the twist which rises the question I am writing about in a short story for “Theme Thursday”..I call “fright or frong”….can the spirit of a character be more deadly that the spirit of real human? In your scenario I would say yes…
charlesmashburn said
Oh, yes, I definitely think it can!
Thanks!
Anna :o] said
Oh so very good – now worrying if my characters will come back to haunt me!
Anna :o]
charlesmashburn said
Maybe they already are!