HOUSE OF THE RESTLESS DEAD

​

Stephanie Smith

 

The walls are alive with the cries of the dead

A terrifying place

where nightmares scream down dimly-lit hallways

as skeletons recite sonnets

to the ghosts who hide in the shadows

I try to summon spirits

in the wake and gloom of a dull afternoon

I spend all evening recovering from the trauma

with a tall glass of formaldehyde to my trembling lips

But sometimes my words fail

My candle burns too quick,

singeing the skin on my fingertips

I listen to the heavy metal din of banshee song

turning the mirrors black

so I can no longer see

the demon I've become

​

     Stephanie Smith is a poet and writer from Scranton, Pennsylvania. Her work has appeared in such publications as THE HORROR ZINE, CARNAGE HOUSE, APHELION, RAVEN CAGE, THE LITERARY HATCHET, and ILLUMEN.