FOREST OF THE DEAD



In the forest of the dead
Phantom creatures do abound,
Lifeless birds fly through the air
Lifeless things burrow underground.

Twisted stumps of long-dead trees
Murdered by lone strangling vines,
Wisteria, spruce, even honeysuckle
Cursed foliage on which nothing dines.

Nothing would eat these malevolent growths
Even the dead avoid devouring them,
Weeds, thistles, and stunted growths
Flower heads growing without stems.

In the forest of the dead
Nothing worthwhile ever grows,
Poison Sumac and poison ivy
Invasive vines like mistletoe.

Lifeless creatures stalk the forest
Risen from the grave once more,
Skeletal fish swim in a polluted creek
Even occasionally swimming onto shore.

Nothing good can abide the forest
Flora and fauna all look insane,
As the dead of winter comes on
Bringing black snow and acid rain.

In the forest of the dead
Ghosts and goblins do abound,
Residing in the malignant woods
Hoping for humans to run to ground.

THE END
© Copyright 2021 Philip Roberts
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

About this poem

In the forest of the dead Phantom creatures do abound, Lifeless birds fly through the air Lifeless things burrow underground.

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Written on August 09, 2021

Submitted by PHIL_ROBERTS on October 15, 2021

Modified on March 05, 2023

48 sec read
8

Quick analysis:

Scheme Abxb xcxc dxdx Axxx efxf egxg Abxb xxx
Closest metre Iambic tetrameter
Characters 982
Words 162
Stanzas 8
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 3

Phil Roberts

I turn 65 on the 31st of January 2022. I love cats, rock music, and horror fiction and poetry more…

All Phil Roberts poems | Phil Roberts Books

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    "FOREST OF THE DEAD" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Mar. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/112066/forest-of-the-dead>.

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