The Old Hag

Image: The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli (1781)

The old hag rests upon my breast,
malevolence sent on a quest.
To claim souls in the twilight hour,
demonic beast amassing power.

My muffled pleas lost in the fray,
limbs paralysed there where I lay.
Possessing souls into the night,
she won’t take mine without a fight.

New valour pushes fear away,
and silently bids calm to stay.
My twitching limbs regain control,
tonight I’m keeping my own soul.

As glowing eyes glare back at me,
she sears me in her memory.
Reviling as she takes up flight,
surceasing for another night.

Copyright © October 2012 Norma Martiri

Form: Quatrain

Sleep paralysis was once believed to be demonic being described as the Old Hag terrifying victims .

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A Vampire’s Dine

Le Vampire by Philip Burne-Jones (1861-1926)

A strong heart beats in well-tuned ears,
Like quick steps on the cobblestone.
Thin pale lips curl detecting fears,
Beware a monster’s feeding zone.

Black bulging eyes examine moves,
While silent screams dance on cold graves,
Red hot blood like sweet velvet wine,
As transfused veins are slaked – divine!

Copyright © April 2012 Norma Martiri

Form: Rispetto
The rispetto is a classic Italian form composed of only eight lines in two quatrains. All lines are written in iambic tetrameter, with a rhyme scheme of abab ccdd. The distinguishing characteristic of this form is the change in rhyme scheme from alternate line rhyming in stanza one to rhyming couplets in stanza two.

The Witching Hour

Flickr Image by ZL Reynolds

Inside the deepest, darkest night,
An eerie presence unexplained.
Abstruse dreams jolted with a fright,
My booming heart alert and strained.

A feeble light; my sole defence,
While choked screams fade in cold silence.
Malevolence seeks to devour,
Disquieted souls in this dark hour.

Copyright © 2011 Norma Martiri

Form: Rispetto

The rispetto is a classic Italian form composed of only eight lines in two quatrains. All lines are written in iambic tetrameter, with a rhyme scheme of abab ccdd. The distinguishing characteristic of this form is the change in rhyme scheme from alternate line rhyming in stanza one to rhyming couplets in stanza two.