Winners of our Horror Poetry Competition

First Prize (£100)
was won by Alanna Blake with "Jogging at Dusk"

Second Prize (1 year's full membership)
was won by Stephen Colbourn with "Sans Teeth"

Third Prize (1 year's subscription to the eZine)
was won by Talia Bienvenu with "Absence of light"

The winning poem

"Jogging at Dusk" by Alanna Blake

Later than normal. The shadows grow
Limbs in the empty park,
The path is endless, the pace too slow
To win against practised dark.

Wise birds are silent; a starling jeers,
Safe in concealing leaves,
Piping of dangerous sounds it hears
Down where the dark deceives.

Noises that puzzle: a groan, a creak,
Deep in the murky gloom;
Silence. Relief! Then an eldritch shriek,
Heartstopping hint of doom.

Something is clutching at face and arms,
Creepers invade the air,
Roots are attacking, their strength alarms,
Cobwebbing nets the hair.

Someone is running on rubbered feet,
Tapping the quiet grass,
Black lake in front and there's no retreat.
Pray he intends to pass.

Steps follow louder, they echo round
Stolid encircling trees;
Shoes are a-slither on slimy ground,
Weakness strikes at the knees.

Rhythm is slackening, muscles knot
Tight in the aching shin,
Sweat is oozing and breath comes hot
Searing the prickled skin.

Thighs begin trembling, sobs in the throat
Swell, and the fear-dried lips
Utter a scream, a choked-off note,
As the final horror grips.

Judges' Comments

A well-deserved winner, and the only entry that we considered genuinely scary. This poem has the overtones of classic "over the top" gothic horror but puts it into a modern context, which is exactly the sort of thing we were hoping to see. We were a little thrown by the phrase "an eldritch shriek", however, and this almost resulted in the poem's disqualification on purely literary grounds. Even for gothic horror it's risky, but in a modern version it's (almost) a step too far. Fortunately the poem's many other fine qualities - and its degree of scariness - saved it and we are pleased to award it first prize. We gave it the top score for scariness and, although well-written, moderate points for literary merit - we deducted a few points for "eldritch shriek".

Well done Alanna. (But if you plan to publish the poem elsewhere please consider changing that line!)