
The stench of shadows long since gone,
Creep solemnly among these walls.
A diamond cut within the stones,
Buries some rich person
Here, no doubt.
Stone cutters lent no attention back then
To fashioning stone for lesser men.
No bricks beneath, just solid work,
Pleasing a family of aristocrats
Who valued it by cost.
Kept up to this day, though dark and wet,
Rats scurry in like trespassers.
Collages of skeletal remains suggest
Someone might have been buried alive,
But history is inconclusive.
Scraping among the shaded walls
Firelight wears thin from torches
As I find her sitting here in ugliness.
There aren’t jewels upon her crown…
Only wormed holes in graying ivory.
Long white hair replacing auburn,
A hallowed stare that sees no light…
No longer a Matriarch of higher caste,
In concomitance with insects
She’s my personal queen of pests.
My conjecture has always been
That we are buried as we have lived.
No flowers are placed within a tomb,
No one drops by on holidays
To say I loved you when…
So give me a pauper’s grave my friend,
Where my sweeties can oft drop by,
To shoot the breeze in soft refrain
Or tell me through sunshine and the rain…
Remember me? I loved you when…
The end?
About the Creator
Veronica Coldiron
I'm a mild-mannered project accountant by day, a free-spirited writer, artist, singer/songwriter the rest of the time. Let's subscribe to each other! I'm excited to be in a community of writers and I'm looking forward to making friends!
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Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Excellent storytelling
Original narrative & well developed characters
Compelling and original writing
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Comments (7)
I'll take the pauper 's grave too. The house with skeletons creeps me out a bit. Well done! Especially loved this line "That we are buried as we have lived. "❤️ and subscribed
A good, and thoughtful read - I can feel it - nice work!
Wow. This is excellent. Love it.
This is a wonderful poem, loved the atmosphere
Gorgeous! Your language was rich and decadent. I loved this line especially, "Firelight wears thin from torches As I find her sitting here in ugliness." I'll take a pauper's grave too. Well done :)
This was mindblowing! Loved the imageries! So beautifully written!
good job Veronica! love reading your stories.