Folktober Challenge Day 15

troubled sleep, dreams of demons—nightmare songs
incubus and horse-hags ride feelings of dread
in the darkness, contorted trees grow heads
terrorizing dreams, all alone in this bed

spirits torment and tantalize her thoughts
in vain, she struggles to scream—alas, no breath
cozy foreplay, the devil's vocation
her willing body fused to her evil soul

a flood tide of release breaks the wicked spell

© Colleen M. Chesebro

19 thoughts on “Folktober Challenge Day 15”

1. Will you be joining in every day? It’s a great challenge. You’ve started with a fierce one!

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   1. I’ll try. I’m not as quick at these as I’d like to be. LOL. Do you have to email him every time?

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      1. Yep. And sorry I can’t like your posts. WP doesn’t let me. Only a few random people. No idea why.

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         1. It’s so frustrating. 😦

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         2. This is excellent Colleen. Great atmosphere.

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            1. Thank you. The painting is stunning! The way the woman’s body is positioned… well, you know her dreams were tortured for sure. LOL!

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2. Well done, Colleen! You can feel the fear.

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   1. Thanks, Merril. Those rhymes still give me fits, but I’ll keep working on them. I just couldn’t get them to work for this poem. LOL!

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      1. No need. This challenge is however you want to respond to the images.

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         1. We’ll that’s fun! 🤩

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3. What a prompt from Jane! That’s so evocative, Colleen, and what a response. After all that nightmarish imagery, the release at the end was a wonderful relief. 🙂

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   1. The sexual tension in the painting is evident, I think… in the way the woman is in the “throes of her dreams.” Paul from the Wombrel Rainbow is a great place to find wonderful poetry, Diana. 💜

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      1. Thanks for the tip!

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         1. LOL! 😀

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         2. Actually I thought my poem was too risqué!

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            1. Oh no. Not at all. Especially with an image like that. Poetry isn’t supposed to be “safe.” Think of all the rich poetry we’d lose.

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            2. True… I enjoy writing to the ekphrastic prompts like that. Those paintings speak to me.

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            3. Me too. Images can’t help but evoke stories.

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4. […] on 15 Oct 2022 by Colleen M. […]

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