Deathly Faces ~ Chain Poetry

There are different types of chain poems. A collaborative chain poem has a number of authors, each usually writing just one line or stanza to the poem. A poet who begins a collaborative poem has no idea how the poem will end. These poems are unpredictable, surprising and very creative.

A word chain poem is written by a single author/poet. These poems are used to express a chain of ideas which are connected by words of association.

Frank issued a challenge to continue a poem from the first verse written by him.

I tried to continue the scene Frank set up as I saw it. My following verses portray spirits/demons gathered at a funeral of a departed one waiting to steal the soul and take it to Hell. The preacher in turn trying to prevent that by reading Holy verse and attempting to dedicate the soul to Heaven.

I had previously written these three verses in separate articles but decided to combine them into one.

"He knew

As death grew,

The lights were dimmer,

As the darkness began to shimmer,

Eyes would glow

As the candles in back

Burnt low

And spirits sat as mourners

Massed together all in a row…"

by Frank Atanacio

Deathly faces

No airs and graces,

Unblinking, cold, and grey

As they watched another join the Frey.

While the priest

Read God's holy word,

Challenging the evil beast

To try to steal another soul,

And empty husk upon which demons feast.

As the darkness slowly ebbed

The demons howled in pain,

April's spirit hovered

Above the coffin where she'd lain.

The preacher summoned angels

As the sun began to rise,

But Satan tightened fast his grip

To hold on to his prize.

Heaven vs Hell,

At the church's ringing bell.

As April's soul rose from the grave

The demons crowded around.

Ghostly hands reached out to her,

Above consecrated ground.

The Sentinel surveyed the scene

From a tall dead oak nearby.

Then with a shrieking cry it swooped

Through the demonic funeral fray.

The spirits cried as if in pain,

As the black bird stole their prey.