Krampus Stalks the Winter Roads
Krampus stalks the winter roads
Driven not by malice or anger, but by purpose
For his is the burden of balance
A burden carved in stone, forged in history
Older than the first church bell
Darker than the blackest of nights
For something must tend the dark half of the year
When truth stands on the precipice
And the rawness of punishment lays bare
Challenging those who dare to look
Whispering to those who cross his path
His prey, the naughty children
Unchecked pieces of humanity
Those that slip through the cracks
Sinister little lads and lasses
Selfish impulses buried under polite smiles
Unspoken cruelties in their tiny heads
Settling like an icy film across their heart
Krampus gathers every fragment
A reaper without a scythe
Merciless, focused, and unrelenting
His goal is not only to destroy them
But to remind the living
Nothing vile can remain
And ignorance will not erase cruelty
Simply because we refuse to see it
Each cloven step, another lesson
Each rattle of his chains a quiet summons
It’s reckoning time
Time to face that dark shadow
For Krampus is not the creator of evil
Only the keeper of its consequences
The beast who walks behind us
Silent and watchful are his eyes
Collecting debts that conscience leaves unpaid
His claws do not reach out in fury
But in inevitability, and certainty
Balance must be respected
This world cannot survive on light alone
Those who wander from the embrace of kindness
Must be shown the consequences
Face that which they are becoming
The darkness found within his sack
Welts from his branch
Oh, how they struggle, kicking and fighting
Confusion in the depths of night
Face to face with the beast
Knowing he’s come for you
Guilt rising in their throats
Each misdeed replayed in their heads
And the understanding, the knowing
Payment has arrived with a vengeance
The cold earth awaits
Through the ancient gaze of the creature
Silently sent to carry them home
Additional Reading
R.J. (Ralph) Schwartz is an American poet, author, website owner, and online publisher. His writing spans several poetry collections—ranging from spiritual and romantic to fear-driven explorations—and even extends into science fiction. Notable works include:
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Hope – Inspirational and Spiritual Poetry
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Things That Go Bump in the Night – Poetry of Fear and Fright
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The Lover’s Thread – Poetry for Couples
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Poetry of the Human Condition – The Ups and Downs of Modern Living
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The Secrets of the Moon (a sci-fi novel co-authored with his son Sebastian J. Schwartz)
Schwartz’s work is described as purposefully wordy, richly descriptive, and thematically grounded in nature, romance, antiquity, and forgotten histories. He writes regularly on platforms he manages, including The Creative Exiles, a collaborative venue for writers, and The Gypsy Thread, which delves into offbeat histories, pagan lore, and poetry.
- When The Dictator Falls - January 12, 2026
- In The Space Between Breaths - January 9, 2026
- The Witch Returns - January 2, 2026
