Warning: This work has been rated 16+ for violence and mature content.
Content Warning + Author’s Note:
This poem collection is based on vivid nightmares I've had. See stickied comment for explanations of the nightmares, in case the poems aren’t clear
Contains depictions of: gore, violence, terrorist attacks, bombing, and school shootings
~~~
1: Rotting
my family is gathered ‘round the table,
laughing and smiling with food in their mouths.
there’s nothing out of the ordinary;
it’s a normal family dinner.
*
but they don’t see it.
they don’t smell it.
unfortunately, I do.
*
I’m staring directly at it,
wanting to puke but not able to look away.
it’s the skinless corpse of an old friend,
rotting on my living room floor.
~~~
2: Towers
I watched the smoke billow out of the towers,
Like deadly serpents overtaking the sky.
*
I heard the horrible splat of bodies on concrete,
and the harrowing screams of passersby.
*
I choked on the stench and the fumes,
the taste of carbon and cruelty in my mouth.
*
I was sent to stop the attack.
I was tasked to save them all.
*
I should have come back with the victims safe and sound.
instead, I come back empty handed.
~~~
3: Missiles
the missiles never stopped.
*
not when we cried and shivered in the bunker.
not when my neighborhood went up in flames.
not when the buildings came crashing down.
not when my parents were crushed under debris.
*
the missiles never stopped.
~~~
4: November
November 7th, 2023, 7:22 AM.
that’s what they told me when they hacked into my TV.
that’s when it would happen.
the masked man told me, of all people,
because he knew how little I could do to stop him.
*
I tried to warn my friends and family,
begging on my knees for them to stay home.
my tears flowed like a river,
and my words flew out like carrier pigeons.
*
but they didn’t listen. they didn’t believe me.
in fact, they brushed me off and told me that I was crazy.
they all went on with their lives as if I had never told them.
*
I stand here now at the ruins of the school,
wishing at least one had heard my cries
~~~
5: Bang
bang bang.
frantic students stampede out of the building,
crushing their friends beneath their feet.
*
bang bang.
bodies drop like flies in the summertime,
and I’m covered in the blood of exploding heads.
*
bang bang.
by some luck, I make it out alive.
but none of my friends come out to meet me.
*
bang bang.
in a flash, I’m back in English class,
alone except for one other student.
*
bang bang.
I turn, almost screaming when I see his sinister smile.
it’s him. the one who killed them all.
~~~
6: Hate
was I not kind enough?
was I not funny enough?
was I not normal enough for you?
*
I did everything I could
to make sure my existence wasn’t annoying you.
to make sure I wasn’t a bother—
an inconvenience—
a nuisance.
*
and yet here you are,
your words like a barrel of liquid lead,
melting my insides and destroying my soul.
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Time for more poetry about my vivid nightmares!!
*crying*
1.) self explanatory. Exactly what happens in the poem.
Just to start off, I don’t watch/read any media with gore or blood, so idk how my brain comes up with this kind of imagery. I get these kinda of dreams the most when I’m stressed
Here’s some explanations for the dreams:
Spoiler
2.) the government sent me back in time to stop 9/11. I failed.
3.) my neighborhood was attacked by missiles, non-stop, for over an hour.
4.) terrorists had hacked into my tv and told me they were going to bomb my school. I told everyone but nobody believed me. This poem was my least fave out of all of them
5.) school shooting. At the end, i ended up back in the classroom, sitting right next to the shooter
6.) this one was a lot different than the rest. In this nightmare, someone i really care about suddenly started hating me
On the bright side, though, I managed to sneak in two mcr references, because I’m not creative enough to come up with my own metaphors /j
(Reference to “To The End”)
(Reference to “DESTROYA”)
hey there,
I think that your poem is absolutely stunning! Your use of language is so vivid and powerful that it makes the imagery come alive in the reader's mind. Your words have a way of capturing emotions so perfectly that they seem to jump off the page. The way you have crafted each line and stanza is truly impressive. It's clear that you have a talent for poetry and I hope you continue to share your gift with the world. Well done!
Hello there, Gengar! I'm reviewing using the YWS S'more Method today!
Shalt we commence with the spooky S’more?
Top Graham Cracker - These poems are all based on your nightmares? I’m sorry that you’ve had these terrible dreams. I’ve had vivid dreams/nightmares before too, but writing can help get them out.
Slightly Burnt Marshmallow - The poems are fine as is. If you want to post more poetry, then I’d be happy to read it. I like your writing.
Chocolate Bar - The way fear is described in all of the poems. It’s ever so present, lingering in the corners. I can feel the fright dripping from all of these poems
Closing Graham Cracker - Again, I’m sorry that you have these nightmares, but at least they were turned into poetry to become more bearable. Writing is helpful when it comes to these things.
I wish you a beautiful day/night!
Hello!
(I'd like to review, but I'm a little slow today, so please bear with me haha).
First of all, you do a great job at capturing the mysterious and almost illusory feeling of dreams in this collection. How you're never quite sure how you got somewhere or why. Then one thing can be happening, and in a blink, it all changes -for better or worse. You manage to reach every sense throughout the chaos, invoking things like wanting to vomit from fumes or the onomatopoeia for gunfire. Likewise, these strong key words create a very vivid image, without making us feel like things are "dragging on" or cluttering up the poetry. It all flows nicely. If that makes sense...
Everything from the sense of urgent terror during the missile and shooting dreams, to the subtle and somber horror during the hate and a rotting corpse dreams, was very well-delivered. I couldn't spy any errors, and everything was structured beautifully. It feels like you're really bringing the reader into these nightmares, and as I would assume that's the intention, you nailed it!
Awesome work, and thank you for sharing these experiences with us ~