Gaslighter

  “Before the feeble dawn of gaslight and tea…” ~ Patrick Hamilton   Gaslight – (verb) : is a form of psychological abuse in which the victim is manipulated to doubt their own memory, perception, and sanity. (Wikipedia)   Poem By Jaye Tomas I told you I was sorry, I promised to be better, but the

Fearology: Screamers

Ahhhh! Oh. Excuse me. Pardon the involuntary airy expulsion. How come bipedal mortals (humans) scream when they’re scared? Have you noticed that? Perhaps you’ve been the victim of an involuntary airy expulsion. What caused it? One of them eight-legged atrocities? A scary movie that most likely simulated the demise of a stupid drunk frat boy?

The Maze

Poem By J.T. O’Sullivan Tepid tapered streams seamlessly Flow through rigid rivers in each Creaking crevice of his mangled Maze-like mind. Each turning twisting twirling whirling Step and stone through flesh and bone Beyond the walls a man; Alone.

Shrieking Poets: Cauldron of Hate

  Pour in your frustrations. Add a drop of your fears. Frog legs and cricket wings, Beetle brains and butterfly heads, Take the wooden spoon, churn, churn, churn— The Cauldron of Hate.   Purple mist rises, Boiling green sludge… Rat fur and toad warts, Spider eyes and raven beaks. Grasp the wooden spoon, Churn, churn,

Mutterings of Frankenstein

  “There is love in me the likes of which you’ve never seen. There is rage in me the likes of which should never escape. If I am not satisfied in the one, I will indulge the other.”—Mary Shelly, Frankenstein  

Silent Wings

Poem by Poet Rummager   Nightmare on silent wings, extinguished a candle. Brushing back strands of her hair, it gazed at the sleeping face – so peaceful.   Not for long, my dear. It promised fear and terror. With tendrils of vapor, it entered through pores in her skin – sly and seeping.   She

Monster Theory: Inside The Maw

Close your eyes. A disembodied voice whispers: Imagine a monster. What did you see? Chances are your mental projection looked like some kind of toothy anatomical creature. That image has been burned into our sub-consciousness ever since cave tigers tore our ancestors into edible fleshy ribbons. Humanity fears anything that involves a mouth full of

Fearology: The Wretched Gut

Your breath shortens as sweat build upon your skin. A hole opens up in your stomach as an unsettling numbness radiates through your body.   We’ve all felt the symptoms of fear at some point in our lives. The flight or fight response is responsible for these feelings—consider it a valuable curse from our sympathetic

Anatomy of Fear: Dissection

Close the windows and lock the door. See that apron? Put it on. You’re going to need it. Grab the spines. I’ll hold on to the horns…and let’s carry it to the examination table. We’re going to dissect the embodiment of fear.   Are you wondering what’s going to spill out? Great! So am I.

Fearology: Death’s Attraction

What is it about someone’s possible untimely death that we can’t turn away from? What is it about a particular threatening event that summons a crowd? Some say the possibility of death is more exciting than any stunt, although people seldom admit it. From the perspective of the one that puts their life on the