Oh So Human
Dark shadows on the wall
Creep, creep, creeping, all
The way
'Cross my bedside pedestal.
What fills my thoughts full,
At hours near dawn?
Fear of the red-eyed bull
Now nearer to me drawn.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
Hooves of ash on pavement.
Clop. Clop. Clop.
Nostrils crook'd and bent.
Petrified.
Move?
I try.
Nothing. Nothing.
Take hold!
Chilly shadow's grasp
As a dingy, raspy
Voice calls me. Calls me.
"Dear soul,
What echoes in your murky depths?"
I stare coldly back
At a black bull's face.
"You know my depths and shadows
You've seen me in this place.
Walked me by the hand
And caused me such disgrace."
The red-eyed bull just smiles
Putrid yellow teeth.
Sharing what beguiles
Those lost without beliefs.
And so I woke from wanted slumber,
Dripping from my brow
Gripping the floor I lumber
Ignoring sleep is now my vow.
About this poem
Many of us dream things that we can’t explain. What meaning do those dreams have, if any? Are they inspired by events that have previously unfolded? Or are they brought about by things beyond our understanding? There is a form of sleep paralysis known as hypnagogia that occurs during the time between trying to fall asleep and slumber. You get caught on the precipice between reality and the world of Morpheus, unable to move, and often experience a presence during this state. I experienced this hallucinatory moment once in my life and there was a presence with three glowing lights on its otherwise dark, blank face standing over me. I was petrified. Move? I tried. Nothing. Nothing. And so the inspiration for this foggy tale was sparked. Now this fictional, gothic, somewhat Poe-like piece unfolds for you to read, and question what there may be on the other side of the nightly veil. more »
Written on October 16, 2012
Submitted by BrickVeneire on October 26, 2022
Modified on April 11, 2023
- 53 sec read
- 46 Views
Quick analysis:
| Scheme | aaxx bcbc DxDx xxxx xddx xexf xfxf xxex ghgh |
|---|---|
| Closest metre | Iambic trimeter |
| Characters | 825 |
| Words | 175 |
| Stanzas | 9 |
| Stanza Lengths | 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4 |
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"Oh So Human" Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/143366/oh-so-human>.
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