I have decided. It is settled. I am a poet. I am a writer.

Ever since I decided to change my major from Environmental Sciences to Literature and Writing, I put myself on a fast track to find my place in the literary world. I started reading so many more books, from many genres. I put myself in creative writing classes and soaked up as much information as I could from my English Lit, World Lit and Literary Magazine classes at community college. Now that I am at a Cal State University I am continuing to refine my interests and finding my strengths.

I really like writing poetry. When I have free time and free thoughts I am finding myself picking up my pen to write poems.

I have realized that poetry is for people who like poetry. It doesn’t feel as universal and accessible as popular fiction novels or self help books. At first, even though I was feeling a pull to write poetry, I still shied away from it, assuming that no one would want to read it. Assuming that I was bad at it. Assuming that I didn’t know what I was doing. I found out that as long as I share it, people WILL read it. I found out that I needed to write poetry to learn how to write poetry.

So anyway, today’s poem is especially for Valentine’s Day. I dedicate this poem to all of the domestic violence victims who deserve to be resurrected in order to take revenge on their abusers. This an experimentation with the horror genre.

His Wife Returns

Deep within the labyrinth, 
where pure souls never go
fingers emerge from the dirt. 

Clawing her way out,
the bride writhes 
like an earthworm in loose soil.

Her damp skull vibrates with rage, 
inching its way above ground, 
tugging at the veil still half buried. 

Her forsaken heart, 
dry and withered, rattles 
inside her ribcage from bitter wails. 

The grimoire beckons with a whisper
from its concealed location
beneath the floorboards.
 
Her clouded brain still knows 
which page to find the incantation 
for the mutilation of a man. 

Free from the earth, 
her desecrated corpse lurches through the maze, 
making its way home to her husband.

This poem was a class assignment! Consider it part of my “new creative writing series” for this semester.