The Darkened Woods

The Darkened Woods

Night winds howl, a raven cries

An inky blackness fills the skies

With dark circles and sightless eyes

Jagged trees hide things within

A single pathway chills the skin

Only one way out and one way in

The forest road, a darkened way

Stay your line, don’t dare stray

Beasts out there, and you’re the prey

Wisps will whisper, call your name

Draw you in with a comforting flame

Greedily awaiting your soul to claim

Glowing orbs and twinkling lights

Creatures moving with eyes of white

Shades of grey, unearthly sights

Every step brings new temptation

Hideous risings of Hell’s creation

Unholy portals to your damnation

Oh, tricks they’ll play to lure you in

Children laughing with evil grins

Headless bodies stripped of skin

Pounding footsteps, ghostly wagons

Restless spirits throwing tantrums

Calls for help by roaming phantoms

Keep your wits, for this I pray

Stay on the road and do not stray

Or you might not live another day

The darkened woods, a place of fear

The path protected, an invisible sphere

While terror lurking, oh so near

It’s a hellish journey, the edge of a knife

For sure a gauntlet, be wary your life

Hold your children and clasp your wife

Stay in the middle, eyes on the ground

Cover your ears to hide from the sound

Don’t dare a chance to even look around

Ahead in the distance a blur taking shape

Frightful you are and you cannot escape

A headless man on a horse, wearing a cape

Thundering hooves, now pounding the land

Flames from its neck and a sword in his hand

It’s coming at you, but I beg you to stand

Larger than life and the one feared the most

Wants you to run, as it charges ever close

But listen to me, for it’s only a ghost

Your resolve is the key, overcoming your fright

It will pass right through you and vanish on site

Disappearing like dust, on this horrible night

All the tests have been passed, you’re free to go

The first glimpse of daylight starting to show

Cries of the raven, now a cawing of crows

More From R.J. Schwartz

If you’re a fan of scary poetry, check out some of his Pagan Poetry

To view the rest of his work on this site, visit this link.

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R J Schwartz

I write about everything and sometimes nothing at all.I'm fascinated by old things, rusty things, abandoned places, or anywhere that a secret might be unearthed.I'm passionate about history and many of my pieces are anchored in one concept of time or another.I've always been a writer, dating back to my youth, but the last decade has been a time of growth for me.I'm continually pushing the limitations of vocabulary, syntax, and descriptive phrasing.

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