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I showed up late (dressed as the ghost of your past life)

by LadyBug
  • March 4, 2025
  • Poetry
  • Romantic Β· Dramatic
  • white roses and funerals
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TW: Symbolism of death/references to blood

𝘐 π‘ π’‰π‘œπ‘€π‘’π‘‘ 𝑒𝑝 π‘’π‘›π‘“π‘Žπ‘ π’‰π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘π‘™π‘¦ π‘™π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’, π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘ π‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘  𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘”π’‰π‘œπ‘ π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘‘ 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒,

𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘šπ‘œπ‘œπ‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘‘ 𝑛𝑒𝑀 π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘’π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π’‰π‘Žπ‘–π‘Ÿ π‘π‘œπ‘™π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘ ,

𝑛𝑒𝑀 π‘›π‘Žπ‘–π‘™ π‘π‘œπ‘™π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘ , 𝑛𝑒𝑀 π‘’π‘¦π‘’π‘™π‘–π‘›π‘’π‘Ÿ, π‘Ž π‘€π‘œπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π’‰π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘,

𝘐 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑒𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 π‘šπ‘¦π‘ π‘’π‘™π‘“ π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘€π‘œπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘› π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘›π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑒π‘₯π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘›π‘π‘’π‘‘

β‹†β‹…β˜†β‹…β‹†

𝑇𝒉𝑒 π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘› π‘šπ‘¦ π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘“π‘–π‘›π‘”π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘π‘œπ‘™π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘“ 𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘ π‘’π‘  𝑖𝑛 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ ,

𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘šπ‘œπ‘œπ‘› π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘“π‘™π‘’π‘π‘‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘π’‰π‘ , π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘˜ π‘‘π’‰π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘œπ‘“,

𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘π‘Žπ‘–π‘› 𝑒π‘₯π’‰π‘Žπ‘™π‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘“π‘’π‘›π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘™π‘ , 𝑀𝑒 π‘Žπ‘‘π‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘€π‘›,

π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘€π‘œπ‘›'𝑑 π‘€π‘Žπ‘ π’‰ π‘Žπ‘€π‘Žπ‘¦, 𝘐'𝑣𝑒 π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘ π‘–π‘›π‘” 𝑀𝑖𝑑𝒉 π‘œπ‘‘π’‰π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ '

β‹†β‹…β˜†β‹…β‹†

π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ π‘€π‘’π‘Žπ‘Ÿ 𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘›π‘’π‘π‘˜π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘’ 𝘐 π‘Žπ‘‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘›π‘’π‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ 𝑀𝑖𝑑𝒉 𝑀𝒉𝑒𝑛 𝑀𝑒 π‘€π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑠𝑑𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑,

𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑖𝑑 π‘‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘™π‘’ π‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ π’‰π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘Žπ‘π‘’ π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘‘π‘Žπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Ž π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘π’‰π‘¦,

π‘Ž π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘§π‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘’π’‰π‘œπ‘™π‘‘, π‘‘π‘œ 𝑏𝑒 π‘π‘’π‘™π‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘π‘’ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’'π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘™π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’,

π›­π‘Žπ‘¦π‘π‘’ 𝘐 π‘π’‰π‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘’π‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘π‘’π‘¦π‘œπ‘›π‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘‘π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘, π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠

β‹†β‹…β˜†β‹…β‹†

"π‘‡π‘Žπ‘˜π‘’ π‘šπ‘’ π’‰π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘œπ‘›π‘π‘’ π‘šπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘™π‘‘ π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’'𝑠 π‘ π‘Žπ‘˜π‘’," 𝑀𝑒 π‘‘π‘œπ‘›'𝑑 π’‰π‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘šπ‘’π‘π’‰ π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’...

π‘ π’‰π‘œπ‘€ π‘šπ‘’ π‘€π’‰π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘™π‘œπ‘£π‘’ 𝑖𝑠, π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝘐 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 π‘ π’‰π‘œπ‘€ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘€π’‰π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘™π‘œπ‘£π‘’ 𝑖𝑠𝑛'𝑑,

"𝘐 π‘™π‘œπ‘€-π‘˜π‘’π‘¦ π‘šπ‘–π‘ π‘  𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘€π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘‘π’‰π‘’"

π‘˜π‘–π‘ π‘  𝑖𝑑 π‘π‘’π‘‘π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ, π‘‘π‘œπ‘ π‘  𝑖𝑑 π‘‘π‘œ 𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘€π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿ, π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘

"𝑇𝒉𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑦𝑐𝑙𝑒 π‘™π‘’π‘Žπ‘£π‘’π‘  π‘šπ‘’ 𝑀𝑖𝑠𝒉𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝘐 𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑑 π‘π‘Žπ‘π‘˜ 𝑖𝑛 2020."

𝘐 π‘π‘Žπ‘› π‘œπ‘›π‘™π‘¦ π‘€π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘‘π‘’ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘‘π‘œπ‘’π‘π’‰ 𝑀𝒉𝑒𝑛 𝑖𝑑 π‘™π‘’π‘Žπ‘£π‘’π‘  π‘šπ‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π’‰π‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘›π‘Žπ‘’π‘ π‘’π‘œπ‘’π‘ .

Comments & reviews Β· 2
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Ravena
Review
Ravena wrote a review Β· Wed Jun 25, 2025 7:42 pm

Hello, My Friend!

I hope your day/night is going well thus far! As I was scrolling through the "Oldest Works" section of the Green Room, I discovered this hidden gem and decided to give it the attention it deserves, with a quick review. Hope you don't mind!

To start, man, this poem got me thinking. It feels complex, but in a good way that leaves me wondering the meaning behind every line (even though, knowing myself, I'm probably not doing it well lol). It feels like this poem is using this image of death in a way that describes, perhaps, a relationship that in itself died too soon. "Dressed as the ghost of your past life" and "blood on my ring finger" evoke these images of a decayed romance and times past, yet showing up lateβ€”being present, haunting him stillβ€”imply that there are still remnants keeping you connected...It's strangely beautiful and unnerving, and with its macabre imagery, it immediately reminds me of some amazing heavyweights in Gothic poetry like "Lenore" or "Porphyria's Lover," which is SO cool!!

*ahem* As far as a technical review goes, I have no recommendations to make here. Nice metric, great wording, and the formatting looks so coolβ€”I love the font you used. I was admittedly a bit bewildered about every "h" being capitalized, but more in a way that makes me go, "I feel like there's a story/reason there." So, all in all...Looks great!

As for picking favorite parts and lines, oofβ€”that's hard, there's so much great material here...I would have to go with:

𝘐 π‘ π’‰π‘œπ‘€π‘’π‘‘ 𝑒𝑝 π‘’π‘›π‘“π‘Žπ‘ π’‰π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘π‘™π‘¦ π‘™π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’, π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘ π‘ π‘’π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘  𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘”π’‰π‘œπ‘ π‘‘ π‘œπ‘“ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘‘ 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒,

𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘šπ‘œπ‘œπ‘› π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘‘ 𝑛𝑒𝑀 π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘’π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π’‰π‘Žπ‘–π‘Ÿ π‘π‘œπ‘™π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘ ,

𝑛𝑒𝑀 π‘›π‘Žπ‘–π‘™ π‘π‘œπ‘™π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘ , 𝑛𝑒𝑀 π‘’π‘¦π‘’π‘™π‘–π‘›π‘’π‘Ÿ, π‘Ž π‘€π‘œπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π’‰π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘,

𝘐 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑔𝑒𝑖𝑠𝑒𝑑 π‘šπ‘¦π‘ π‘’π‘™π‘“ π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘€π‘œπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘› π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘›π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑒π‘₯π‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘›π‘π‘’π‘‘


I loved the beginning, as right off the bat, there's this sense of digging up skeletons and bringing up the weight of this past life, but also a sense of transformation. Maybe this woman is trying to show someone what they missed out on, what they didn't stay long enough to covet. Maybe it's a taunt, showing off what they did not, cannot, and perhaps will not have...

𝑇𝒉𝑒 π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘œπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘› π‘šπ‘¦ π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘›π‘” π‘“π‘–π‘›π‘”π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘€π‘Žπ‘  𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘π‘œπ‘™π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘“ 𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘ π‘’π‘  𝑖𝑛 π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ ,


I loved this line, just because it screams Gothic romance. Is that hue of red from a lovely rose, or is it blood? Can you even tell? Ooo...

π‘Œπ‘œπ‘’ π‘€π‘’π‘Žπ‘Ÿ 𝑑𝒉𝑒 π‘›π‘’π‘π‘˜π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘’ 𝘐 π‘Žπ‘‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘›π‘’π‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ 𝑀𝑖𝑑𝒉 𝑀𝒉𝑒𝑛 𝑀𝑒 π‘€π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ 𝑠𝑑𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑒𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑,

𝑑𝑖𝑑 𝑖𝑑 π‘‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘™π‘’ π‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘Ÿ π’‰π‘’π‘Ÿ π‘“π‘Žπ‘π‘’ π‘Žπ‘  π‘Ž π‘‘π‘Žπ‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘Ž π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘π’‰π‘¦,

π‘Ž π‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘§π‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘’π’‰π‘œπ‘™π‘‘, π‘‘π‘œ 𝑏𝑒 π‘π‘’π‘™π‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘π‘’ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’'π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘™π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’,

π›­π‘Žπ‘¦π‘π‘’ 𝘐 π‘π’‰π‘Žπ‘›π‘”π‘’π‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘π‘’π‘¦π‘œπ‘›π‘‘ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’π‘Ÿ π‘‘π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘, π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘ 𝑒𝑦𝑒𝑠


I loved how this felt like it was expanding on the underlying story. Indeed, you wonder if that necklace is a taunt toward the one they knew in their past, or a thoughtless trophy from that time. Within the context of the poem, though, it also makes me think of how a killer would keep a "prize" from their victim. Which not only fit the theme, but gave off more eerie undertones.

π‘ π’‰π‘œπ‘€ π‘šπ‘’ π‘€π’‰π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘™π‘œπ‘£π‘’ 𝑖𝑠, π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ 𝘐 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 π‘ π’‰π‘œπ‘€ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘€π’‰π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘™π‘œπ‘£π‘’ 𝑖𝑠𝑛'𝑑,


Ah, another awesome line! Like, that is quote-worthy there. It feels, to me, cynical in a way. "Let me demand your love, so I can betray it." Hah, ain't that the way it goes...

Overall, that was an absolutely beautifully-written poem! Very nicely done! :D


Thus concludes my review. To leave off, here are some inspiring quotes, courtesy of your resident Poe freak ~

"They who dream by day are cognizant of many things which escape those who dream only by night."
"Words have no power to impress the mind without the exquisite horror of their reality.”
"I would define, in brief, the poetry of words as the rhythmical creation of Beauty."

User avatar
2019aquarious
Review
2019aquarious wrote a review Β· Tue Mar 11, 2025 3:48 pm

I like how the person showed up unfashionably late, the glamour is taken away and is just reduced to sadness. The change that the person goes through is described very well in this poem. Attending their own funeral reminds me of the end of a relationship. I like how the blood is trying to be washed away with others in an attempt to forget. I can relate with that a lot. I really like this poem. Great Job!


LadyBug
LadyBug replied Β· Mon Mar 17, 2025 12:45 am

Thank you!



"Cowards die many times before their deaths; but the valiant will never taste of death but once."
— Julius Caesar