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It Lurks in Shadows

a sonnet, more-or-less

By Randy BakerPublished 2 years ago 1 min read
generated by author using DALL-E

Beneath my bed, in shadows deep it lies,

the beast, unseen, breathes whispers of the past.

With its creeping tendrils it comes and tries

to rob my peace of mind, which never lasts.

*

Clawing at my dreams in the dead of night,

where echoes of my war-torn soul reside.

With each creak and moan, I put up a fight,

but like a parasite it bores inside

*

The specter cloaks me in its wretched shroud,

sowing poison thoughts that I can’t forget.

It cuts and stabs until I scream aloud.

I choke, I gasp, in a feverish sweat.

*

To slay this demon is my greatest task.

Each night I pray, and strength is all I ask.

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Written for RM Stockton's Writing Challenge

Mental HealthSonnet

About the Creator

Randy Baker

Poet, author, essayist.

My Vocal "Top Stories":

* The Breakers Motel * 7 * Holding On * Til Death Do Us Part * The Fisherman

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. Excellent storytelling

    Original narrative & well developed characters

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  2. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  3. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

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Comments (6)

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  • Bonnie Bowerman2 years ago

    Loved it! Well done!

  • Novel Allen2 years ago

    Very much describes that dreaded beast. Well worded RB. Kind of sounds like mine that I just posted. Great minds.

  • Tommy Ballard2 years ago

    Super powerful, I really enjoyed this one. The final two lines feel almost triumphant as you ask for the strength to slay the monster.

  • Lamar Wiggins2 years ago

    👏👏👏 That was awesome! And that last line in itself speaks volumes. Nice entry! Thanks for sharing!

  • Test2 years ago

    Very creative!! I enjoyed this set of poems! 💓💖❤👍

  • 𝐑𝐌𝐒2 years ago

    Wow, Randy, that is some powerful imagery and hauntingly beautiful lines. Our past can haunt us with a vengeance. You captured this brilliantly. I have read several Inverse poems lately, and so I was curious how your poem would read in reverse. It works! Incredibly well done!

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