‘Step into the realm with me’, a d’Verse prompt
I can't I... please... In the mirror his hand reaches-grimly t'wards his pounding-bared breast Reddened eyes, tears drip down chest heaving, he stands alone-undressed What- wait That's not... Fiery, snarling with malice-and-avarice, born, as it was, of doubt's incest Vigilant, ever watch-waiting, its bright eyes blinking with unrest Oh my God no In chamber red she's deep imprisoned, essence of poise with great pride blest To throbbing walls, she lies chained-sobbing, at dread dragon's greedy behest Please... we can't do Pleading-frightened, fearful sobbing, feeling his own fingers pressed Into his soft-flesh pliant digging, fear's pet dragon there to wrest I'm... this won't... ... oh... Rhythmic beats can't drown out roaring; Faith's head hanging down, depressed But... no dragon comes slither-rippling, pure snow white skin to molest How... un- less?
The above poem is my take on d’Verse’s ‘exploring Gothic’ prompt.
d’Verse gave us a selection of potential titles for our poems, and let us do the rest.
To be honest, I think I pretty much failed at writing a gothic poem, but I like the piece above nonetheless 🐉
I was thinking about how dark the poem was, and then you mentioned gothic, which described it perfectly.
Thanks, Angela… It’s dark, yes, but I don’t think that makes it gothic. According to the prompt, Gothic literature contains:
But, regardless, I’m really okay with my poem – I enjoyed writing it 🙂
Interesting list. I get the 5 aspects, but woman? does it always have to have a woman in it? makes you think how powerful a woman can be, to be a part of something. No?
on another hand, just ignore me, my brain wondering aimlessly once again lol. Glad you had fun writing it 🙂
🤷
This is actually brilliant 🙂 you portray the inner conflict and turmoil that plagues one .. constantly clawing upon the conscience. The deepest and most concealed of emotions that come through here (for me) is Guilt. Thank you so much for writing to the prompt 💝💝
I did try 🙂
Thanks for the opportunity!
-David
Well, it’s definitely gut-wrenching and horrifying.
I never thought that I’d consider those words a compliment 🙂
Thanks, Shira!
-David
LOL! 🙂
You are most welcome, David! 🙂
-Shira
This is well written Ben. Tracking the confliction was engaging.
Thanks for your support, Rob!
Sincerely,
David
In baby language my mind go racing,
Rapunzel, rescue rapunzel.
I wouldn’t know why, on first reading it did so.
But i haven’t even followed the task set before you at d’Verse, let me go and read first.
You’re a poet and you didn’t know it!
-David
I love that David, it makes my heart tingle, thank you.
🎶 ❤
❤
I’m not sure, this is an imprisoned man
The dragon has completely devoured him
Prison has shaken him, he can’t contain the dragon
No more, there isn’t a beacon of hope left inside of him
He must surrender to all his demons, they have devoured him
In a display of the most refined form of language, you gave us the dark and the horrific.
d’Verse is indeed an inspiration, and we are gathering the fruits and lessons thereof.
It gives me the feeling that there is so much freedom of expression by responding to a prompt.
That is a very interesting observation, Abi:
It’s somewhat counterintuitive, but I think you’re totally correct!
-David
I don’t know about counterintuitive since you following the task which allows you practice in technique whichever way you choose. Intuition comes to play as you are practicing.
well, sort of counterintuitive to me because one might think that a prompt limits one’s direction in writing the poem.
maybe not, I don’t know 🙂
-David
No I think a allow an enormous amount of freedom and I don’t think everyone has the ability to jump onto a cloud and ride it out into the night with so much poetic finesse.
Yes! I loved writing stories to a prompt when I was at school, it was the seed of a story and then you could go wherever you wanted. So much better than staring at a blank page…
ok, ok! I agree with you guys 🙂
-David
You explain in the way i would’ve love to say Yvonne. Thank you so much for citing an example. That’s exactly how we began to write composition…..wishing you a wonderful day.
This kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering what would happen. Glad whatever was expected to happen didn’t. Very vivid imagery!
Hooray! I’m glad it worked for you, Lisa 🎉
-David
I loved this. Good work, David.
Aww, thanks, Yassy! Your compliments are precious to me.
-David
You are welcome, David. And your friendship is precious to me.
❤
🤗
darkly sinister, you certainly nailed all points of writing gothic!
I dunno Kate… I feel like this is some combination of psychological thriller and fantasy (on account of the dragon)
But thank you for the kind compliment!
-David
I think you captured the theme of gothic really well.
That’s very kind of you, Yvonne.
I’m less than convinced, but I have been tweaking this poem further after posting it, and it has increasingly grown on me 🙂
Sincerely,
David
It was reminding me of Edgar Allan Poe before I even got to the end of the poem, and Poe epitomizes the gothic!
❤
Very interesting, and I think it’s a nice twist on the traditional Gothic. There’s lots of psychology at play here: ‘what lies beneath?’ we’re left to wonder…
Ingrid, thanks!
Yeah, I’m a fan of blurring the boundaries between our inner and outer worlds 🤓
-David
It’s an interesting dimension…
🥰
Wow… I liked the way you have written this, to bring out some innermost feelings in a daunting circumstance❤️❤️
Thanks so much, D ❤
I like the form of this, even if black on dark grey is very hard to read! There’s plenty of blood and horror and chained women, so that probably makes it Gothic, and the dragon…replace dragon with vampire or lunatic with a pair of garden shears and you’ve got pure Gothic. But who wants pure Gothic?
Aww, thanks, Jane 🙂
I appreciate the kind remark.
I’m really glad that you think it works.
Sincerely,
David
I does 🙂
I am starting to see that all the beast of a gothic novel is really a metaphor for something much more real and sinister… I thought of a werewolf until I realized it could be a dark tale of incest… and there is a clear parallel in how a father might suddenly change into a raging beast…(maybe more moonshine than moonlight though)
yes, I was thinking that too… but I was worried that by changing the “monster” I was undoing the poem’s “gothic” theme entirely 😟
🤷♂️
David
The darkest battles take place within our own minds, don’t they? The poem was an evocative read, the format worked well to build suspense! 👏
Thanks 🙂
I was definitely trying to evoke suspense! I’m glad that it worked for you, Tricia
-David
Hmm. I hidden darkness that hopefully never surfaces.
Very much so, Ken.
Thank you!
David