J.W. ARTHUR - OFFICIAL
Rime of the Mourning Dead
by J.W. Arthur
I received this dreadful call...late last night,
from a voice...of bone-chilling fright,
It whispered in my ear, that it feasted on my fears,
‘n that my soul...would soon fill its appetite.
The sheer...anticipation in its tone,
sent me stumbling...discarding my cellphone,
'n as I raced to my car, underneath a sea of stars,
I felt certain...that I was now all alone.
Desp’rately...I slammed shut 'n locked the door,
my rattled heart, shaken to its very core,
With windows steamin' up, a voice b’hind me said, “heads-up,”
'n so I'm dead today...teats up in a morgue.
© 2024 by J.W. Arthur. All rights reserved.
Being a musician—more specifically a guitarist—I was compelled to infuse this poem with strong rhythm. As I wrote, however, I realized that adhering too strictly to guidelines risked diluting the tone and emotion I wanted to convey. I loosely embraced the rhythm of iambic meter—ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum—alternating unstressed and stressed syllables, allowing the rhythm to ebb and flow organically, reflecting the ominous and unsettling nature of the narrative.
Starting sentences early with the first word or two was deliberate, creating a sense of immediacy that echoes the protagonist’s frantic journey. This rhythmic pattern amplifies the urgency and heightens the unsettling atmosphere of the poem.
For example:
"I.. ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum...."
and...
"From.. Ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum, ba-bum..."
