Day 18 - Poe Pretenders

Time to look at one of the godfathers of dark, supernatural thrillers in Edgar Allen Poe. I'm always struck by the ominous mystic quality of his works. Looking at something like The Tell-Tale Heart or The Raven, write your own short piece and try to capture that same air of ominous threat and supernatural happenings.

Come and See

I heard it first in something like a dream,
where neither beast nor spell held its sway 
but somewhere in that veiled state it's voice 
came up like thunder 'crost the bay;
"Come and see"

Unwilling yet interest piqued at the urging,
I followed fast into a narrowed staircase 
and down it twisted into the shadowed space 
beyond, perturbed yet still it beckoned;
"Come and see"

Following now, I stumbled still into that 
encompassing dark and struck a match for light, 
until the scene bent away to dawn and blinded 
I fell out into a river and somewhere beyond sight:
"Come and see"

it called among the trees above the roaring and the
foam - urging me out of the silted riverbed and
onto the bank of thorns and hogweed stems that 
threatened to tear and break and bend but still commanding,
"Come and see"

and at the back of neck, all hairs on end alerted 
as a cold wind blew out the candle of the sun, all turning 
dusk and blue and night once more with occluded moon 
beyond the clouds and somewhere still, incense burning - 
"Come and see"

I followed that unseen censor, perfumed air through
to the clearing and there - four white trees marked 
as if the pillars of the earth and in their clearing, a 
lamb, slathering its blood upon their bark;
"Come and see"

It beckoned with a voice like prophecy and so I 
stumbled closer. A clarion in the deep - some ways beyond
as it uttered words that tongues forgot many moons ago 
and the deafening roar of hooves, the rumble through the ground.
"Come and see"

And I watched as the first appeared on crimson tide,
sword singing as it unsheathed in flickering flame - as 
lightning split the sky and once again the lamb had turned 
to mark me with its blood - to now bear witness
"Come and see"