APED #20 – Revenge Served Cold

Here’s another “A Prompt A Day” challenge. This time, we were challenged to use at least three of the following words:

Chill, Dusk, Ghost, Letters, Coat, Sister, Young, Wet, Nice and Winter.

I used all 10. More or less happy enough with the poem but the title’s just a placeholder which I’ll change someday. If any of you have a suggestion for a more apt title, I’m all ears. 🙂

Revenge Served Cold

When dusk descends darkly,
a chill runs down your spine.
You wrap your coat around you
try to pretend everything is fine.

Return home to find no comfort,
head hung hopeless in the hall.
Sadness magnified, mirrored,
as you hear her quietly call.

Like a silhouette of shadow
in the corner of your eye,
you may feel her watching
in the reflection as you cry.

Letters form in the mirror
as the air hangs cold & wet.
Ghost of the past finds you,
sorrow’s sister named Regret.

She only writes one word: “Winter”,
it is all that she needs to say.
You’re sent spiraling back in time,
to the day you let her slip away.

She was young and innocent,
naively thought you were nice.
Trusted when you said it’s safe:
“Come dance upon the ice!”

You wrapped your arms about her,
tried to force a cruel, cold kiss.
She struggled, screamed, scratched,
begged you “No, not like this!”

Finally free, fled from you,
further across the icy lake.
You can still hear her howl
as the thin ice began to break.

You stood frozen, watching,
she sunk into a watery grave.
Was it fear that kept you still
or wasn’t she worthy to save?

Back in the unpleasant present,
the mirror takes on an icy sheen,
see her frightened face forming,
hear her horrifying scream.

Her cold, clammy hands grab you,
pull you wailing within the glass.
Submerged, struggle, surrender,
under ice you breathe your last.

Copyright © 2015 Philip Craddock. All rights reserved.