Silence: A Halloween Nightmare

Posted on 2019-10-30 by Bartholomew Barker

skull-476740_1280.jpg

Silence

The silence surprises me—
no more thumping from my chest—
no more swooshing through my ears—
the little gurgles of a living body
are now absent and missed.

The last light to enter these eyes
was from cold clinical fluorescents
as they sewed down my lids—
I felt the puncture of every needle,
including the embalmer’s.

Limbs useless, muscles atrophied,
a mind still spinning,
trapped inside a skull in pain,
feeling every itch of my skin—
nose filled with putrid rot.

The last sound was the dirt
hitting the top of the coffin.
Now— eternal silence
which I am unable to fill
with my screams.

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About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is an organizer of Living Poetry, a collection of poets in the Triangle region of North Carolina where he has hosted a monthly feedback workshop for more than decade. His first poetry collection, Wednesday Night Regular, written in and about strip clubs, was published in 2013. His second, Milkshakes and Chilidogs, a chapbook of food inspired poetry was served in 2017. He was nominated for a Pushcart Prize in 2021. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he lives and writes poetry.
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9 Responses to Silence: A Halloween Nightmare

  1. Lisa Tomey-Zonneveld's avatar Lisa Tomey says:
    2019-10-30 at 20:16

    Wow! Now that’s scary!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. Cassa Bassa's avatar Cassa Bassa says:
    2019-10-31 at 22:04

    This is brilliant! 🖤

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  3. jupitergrant's avatar jupitergrant says:
    2019-11-01 at 18:31

    Fantastic! Very dark!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  4. Pingback: SoSS #19- 2/11/2019 – Jupiter's Lair

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