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stonepicnicking_okapiTitle: The Ballad of Hill House
Fandom: The Haunting of Hill House [Shirley Jackson, book 'verse]
Poetic form: Ballad
Length: 182
No. of lines: 36
Rating: Gen
Prompt: BANG
there Hill House stands against its hills
what walks there walks alone
some eighty years of leprous ills
contained in wood and stone
two new-found cousins meet, after
explore surrounding grounds
‘pleasant mirth hath pleasant laughter’
sweet picnic-planning sounds
‘journey’s end in lovers’ meeting’
when two and two make four
gathered after dinner, greeting
to hear the Hill House lore
a tour by day shows misdirects
by architect’s design
at night a ghostly cold infects
and BANGs upon door’s spine.
‘in delay there is no plenty’
but writing on the wall
in blood and coal, the words empty
as baby’s plaintive call
when the sun’s over the yardarm,
a squabbling pair set out
a ghostly picnic sparks alarm,
the searched and searching shout
the house goes dancing, turns about,
when two and four make six
its hospitality they flout
with talking boards and sticks
a mind resumes its wandering
‘as we have done before’
a sanity breaks pondering
Eleanor, Eleanor
the tale ends not walled up alive
but crushed against a tree
not sane, Hill House resumes its thrive
evil held faithfully
Fandom: The Haunting of Hill House [Shirley Jackson, book 'verse]
Poetic form: Ballad
Length: 182
No. of lines: 36
Rating: Gen
Prompt: BANG
there Hill House stands against its hills
what walks there walks alone
some eighty years of leprous ills
contained in wood and stone
two new-found cousins meet, after
explore surrounding grounds
‘pleasant mirth hath pleasant laughter’
sweet picnic-planning sounds
‘journey’s end in lovers’ meeting’
when two and two make four
gathered after dinner, greeting
to hear the Hill House lore
a tour by day shows misdirects
by architect’s design
at night a ghostly cold infects
and BANGs upon door’s spine.
‘in delay there is no plenty’
but writing on the wall
in blood and coal, the words empty
as baby’s plaintive call
when the sun’s over the yardarm,
a squabbling pair set out
a ghostly picnic sparks alarm,
the searched and searching shout
the house goes dancing, turns about,
when two and four make six
its hospitality they flout
with talking boards and sticks
a mind resumes its wandering
‘as we have done before’
a sanity breaks pondering
Eleanor, Eleanor
the tale ends not walled up alive
but crushed against a tree
not sane, Hill House resumes its thrive
evil held faithfully
no subject
Date: 2019-05-13 05:15 pm (UTC)And your poem does capture that sinister atmosphere ^^" I particularly like the lines ‘journey’s end in lovers’ meeting’/ when two and two make four and the house goes dancing, turns about,/ when two and four make six. The increasing numbers seem to increase the tension, and the anticipation of a horrifying ending.
no subject
Date: 2019-05-13 06:59 pm (UTC)The 'journey's end' phrase is one Eleanor repeats (as are the others in quotes) during the story. It is creepy. You don't really know what part of the phenomena in the house are the house being haunted or Eleanor's mind or perhaps her own psychic power. It's a scary sort of muddle. And the architecture of Hill House is very interesting to. There's a suggestion that everything (by sinister design) an inch or two off and so throws the visitor's inner ear or equilibrium off. Really, really interesting edifice.