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..in the Basement!
...In the Basement
I've seen Fear on the face of men in war,
that wide-eyed riveted gaze.
On mine in front of a foe with a gun
who intended to extinquish my days.
But nothing would ever prepare me
for this tale I'm compulsed to present
'bout hauling wet clothes to a dryer
downstairs in my buddy's basement.
First the lights went out. I dropped the load.
The basement silence held two sounds
like knives slicing air in the distance
and thudding feet walking soft ground.
I lunged for the stairway in darkness
but the Thing scraped my ribcage so !
At the top of the stairs, I could just see the door,
only seven steps to go.
Its breath singed the hairs on the back of my neck.
I jumped two steps, leaving five.
I bounded two more and that left me three
with the Monster on my heels and alive.
I lunged for the door, ope’ and closed it.
All in one motion I did !
It snarled and pounded and pounded.
My escape must have blown its lid.
Each pounding lifted me off the door.
Cracked wood pieces propelled to the floor.
Ejected like bullets were door hinge screws.
Wood began crumbling.
It was coming through !
I shivered and sweated in silent fright.
Awaiting the crash ! Awaiting the fight !
Then suddenly ! All went silent !
And again my ears heard the sound.
Knifeclaws, slicing air in the distance,
started fading and melting, going down.
The breath returned to my body
and the sweat began to dry.
Why it stopped? I'll never know.
I'm lucky and I won't ask why !
When I told my vacationing buddy,
he chuckled and said I was crazed.
But I saw him back home from vacation today
with his "wide-eyed riveted gaze."
So, don't laugh at anyone saying,
"There's a Monster in your basement, my friend."
You can bet your sweet life, I would never forget it
or ever chuckle again !
Namyh
I've seen Fear on the face of men in war,
that wide-eyed riveted gaze.
On mine in front of a foe with a gun
who intended to extinquish my days.
But nothing would ever prepare me
for this tale I'm compulsed to present
'bout hauling wet clothes to a dryer
downstairs in my buddy's basement.
First the lights went out. I dropped the load.
The basement silence held two sounds
like knives slicing air in the distance
and thudding feet walking soft ground.
I lunged for the stairway in darkness
but the Thing scraped my ribcage so !
At the top of the stairs, I could just see the door,
only seven steps to go.
Its breath singed the hairs on the back of my neck.
I jumped two steps, leaving five.
I bounded two more and that left me three
with the Monster on my heels and alive.
I lunged for the door, ope’ and closed it.
All in one motion I did !
It snarled and pounded and pounded.
My escape must have blown its lid.
Each pounding lifted me off the door.
Cracked wood pieces propelled to the floor.
Ejected like bullets were door hinge screws.
Wood began crumbling.
It was coming through !
I shivered and sweated in silent fright.
Awaiting the crash ! Awaiting the fight !
Then suddenly ! All went silent !
And again my ears heard the sound.
Knifeclaws, slicing air in the distance,
started fading and melting, going down.
The breath returned to my body
and the sweat began to dry.
Why it stopped? I'll never know.
I'm lucky and I won't ask why !
When I told my vacationing buddy,
he chuckled and said I was crazed.
But I saw him back home from vacation today
with his "wide-eyed riveted gaze."
So, don't laugh at anyone saying,
"There's a Monster in your basement, my friend."
You can bet your sweet life, I would never forget it
or ever chuckle again !
Namyh
Published 17th Dec 2013
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17th Dec 2013 5:27pm
18th Dec 2013 1:20am
maggot – So glad to put an “awesome” in your day with this work. Thanks for stopping in to enjoy. Namyh
18th Dec 2013 00:00am
Wonderful read Namyh, This poem has a great pace which locked me in from the start!
18th Dec 2013 1:23am
ScotP – No poet is better honored than to have a created work lock the reader in from the start. You should have seen the rewrites. Thanks for spending a while…’in the basement’ here SP. Namyh
18th Dec 2013 4:38pm
Exquisitely written! Love this poem, I do hope you'll continue with more!
18th Dec 2013 10:01pm
Suicidal Vampire - I’ve often thought of this work as theme for an epic poem adventure of homespun fright. Thanks for putting an ‘exquisite’ tonic in my day by enjoying this work. Now these old bones rattle just a little bit less. Thanks for the serum SV. Namyh