• A crunch: afoot a dead arachnid
    Spanning once a serving plate –
    Oh! that others be alive
    With such as me for spider bait!

    I slunk along the silent hall
    Of ancient ore attired in grime –
    Feculent beyond the nose;
    No bearing here, nor feel for time.

    I shuddered in appreciation –
    The ambience would mortify
    A feeble mind, aghast, opined
    Of murky thought, and typify

    The will of Belial err I brought
    Upon myself to loathe and dread
    Exquisite retribution: to linger
    Oftentimes alive, then dead.

    Compulsion saw me edging on
    Toward a narrow door of oak.
    Behind, I knew, a greater evil
    Waiting in her fusty cloak.

    A choice of nil upon the table;
    Aught of leave, I had to face
    Alone the shrew – her flaming aura
    Angling me; my deep disgrace

    From ugly deeds I dealt in life,
    A heinous world I honed in glee…
    'Now take a crooked path to death,
    For I have to come to torture thee! '

    Out of eyes of orange flame,
    A piercing glare, then here it came,
    The cackling cry of chanting song:

    You thought you'd die alone in pain
    The once – nay nay! you'll die with me,
    And so a catch: you'll die again
    Ad infinitum - ever be!

    Your soul to curse, my heart we'll gore,
    Your liver to draw and quarter;
    A sadomasochistic pair,
    We'll slither together in slaughter! '

    I answered only with a scream,
    Sensing near her craving lust.
    My crimes to answer; wrongs annul –
    Renounce my soul and turn to dust!

    On an evening cool and quiet,
    Stretch an ear to listen tight –
    Are you lucky of a moment –?
    Hark! my clarion call of plight.