Day Of The Druids - A Horror Narrative Poem


from the ABC set Stories

Her dark dreams began
in that old hotel
on the Isle of Man;
visions out of Hell.

Men, in cowls and cloaks,
carrying a noose
tie it to an oak,
as they chant “Esus!”.

In the dead of night,
by blazing torch light,
they perform their rite
for their god Esus.

Druids pound their drums;
now the victim comes;
now there will be some
slaughter for Esus.

Though she screams and screams,
in her evil dreams
there is no help near
and no one can hear.

With the rough rope strung
from their sacred oak,
now she will be hung;
hung until she chokes.

Waking up, she screams
then turns on the light.
It was just a dream.
Ev’rythings alright.

Now she rubs her neck,
recalling the noose;
she’s a nervous wreck;
pimpled like a goose.

There’s a hotel bar,
so she goes downstairs.
Locals stare at her
like they know her fears.

She has a stiff drink;
to wash out the gloom;
“Just a dream”, she thinks;
goes back to her room.

But, lying in bed
with the light switched off;
something strokes her head;
something long and rough.

She turns on the light
with a scared feeling;
a noose greets her sight
hung from the ceiling.

Suddenly she hears
the chanting and drums;
like in her nightmare;
then the druids come.

They enter her room
and, as in her dream,
the druid drums boom
and drown out her screams.

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Comments

jennifer | November 10, 2010 - 06:47

Oooh, deliciously creepy!

Be careful that you don't get hung up on the rhyme scheme to the point where it seems a little forced, however - I think this poem would have been just as effective in free verse with the odd rhyme to add rhythm.

Also, here, I think you mean 'there':

'now their will be some
slaughter for Esus.'

(there = over there/there are, their = possessive/belonging to, they're = they are)

J x

well-wisher | November 10, 2010 - 09:31

Thanks for your comments, Jennifer. I'm glad you found it creepy. Thanks also for spotting my typo (their/there). It has been corrected.

I used a lot of rhyme in the poem because I really wanted to create a drum rhythm, like the pounding drums of the druids and I felt that the rhymes helped create that rhythm.

skinner_jennifer | November 10, 2010 - 09:52

Hi well-wisher,
wow what a frightening poem. I love the bit with
the chanting of the drums, like in a nightmare,
then the druids come. They enter her room. This sent
shivers through me.

Brilliant piece. Thanks for the read.

Jenny.

well-wisher | November 10, 2010 - 10:28

Thanks, Jenny. I'm glad you shivered.

The "coolest" (or maybe cruelest is a better word) thing the Druids did was building Wicker Men, but that idea had already been used by Hammer (and in the Hollywood remake) and I thought that hanging was just as scary.