{"id":4041,"date":"2024-12-22T12:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-12-22T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/indycritic.com\/?p=4041"},"modified":"2025-05-16T05:30:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-16T05:30:55","slug":"when-the-bells-tolled-a-short-grimdark-poem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/indycritic.com\/?p=4041","title":{"rendered":"When the Bells Tolled – A Short (Grimdark) Poem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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This poem was penned for an international poetry competition organized by Dream Quest One<\/mark><\/em><\/strong><\/a>, who have been hosting poetry and writing contests twice a year since 2005-06. Apart from getting your work published online in their “Dare to Dream pages”, the top three winners of each contest also get to win handsome cash prizes. There were no rules with respect to either the genre or the style of the poem, except that it was not to exceed 30 lines. Since the last time I participated in a contest like this was back in the school days, it’s safe to say that I wasn’t too confident or optimistic about it. But one rough idea had popped up in my head quite literally out of nowhere, and I ultimately decided to pen it down. After working on the nitty-gritties, going over a few drafts, and polishing a few bits and pieces, it was finally ready. And I’ll be honest, I was certainly happy and content with how it turned out to be in the end. And although I didn’t win, it was definitely well worth the time and effort. It was a fun experience, and I’m glad that I participated!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Well then, here goes…<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Enjoy!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the Bells Tolled<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gather \u2018round close, ye fine folks, and bear witness to this ghastliest of tales ever told.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nothing but the truth, mind ye, of the pure horror that transpired when the bells began to toll.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u2018Twas a gloomy, cold winter night; said to be the blackest and bleakest of them all.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where the stars glowed dim and the moon went pale, yet the shadows grew ever so tall.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wind had died, and an eerie silence stretched; from the green grass all the way up to the sea.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Yet a vile stench lingered in the air; ever creeping; ever spreading; foreboding and deathly.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Soon, the ground trembled; the stillness shattered with piercing shrieks and menacing howls,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

as an army consumed by unending bloodlust approached; brutal, malevolent, and utmost foul.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Demons, monsters, and evil alike; ravenous; their numbers seemingly endless to count,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

and gore would be spilled unlike never before, hear ye, as bodies were shortly about to mount.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beacons were lit; a plea for help; the ancient town awoken by the bells that now endlessly tolled.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

‘Twas a sign of impending doom; unmistakable; unavoidable; as darkness would soon take hold.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The streets got crowded; the air abuzz, as each and every soul desperately scrambled ever faster.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

With families to protect; loved ones to defend; as faith itself took a tumble, and set about to falter.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There would be no respite, the masses knew, nor any redemption to seek, be it a saint or a sinner.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fear gripped and ran amok; as whispers slowly turned to screams, and hope grew ever so thinner.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amidst the downright chaos, a rag-tag group had assembled; emerging steadfast in their resolve.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Determined to safeguard the innocent; fearless, uncaring of their backs pinned against the wall.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armed with weapons and magic, the select few bravehearts grasped their nerves and braced,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

as with glaring features and vicious grins, the wicked and the unholy now stood face-to-face.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Momentarily, a great battle ensued; inevitable, unfathomable; and the forces of good held strong.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But alas their figure was fast dwindling; pray tell, O Lord, is this set to be humanity\u2019s swan song?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before long, the streets were utterly devoid of life; fire and smoke aplenty; no abode left to stand,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

as dust began to settle steadily, as if unsure, whether to grace this freshly defiled, crimsoned land.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Limbs scattered, mouths agape, and eyes with blank stares; oh, hear ye, the absolute horror!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Evil had prevailed, alas, as the fiend army marched on and on\u2026 and darkness finally took over.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Take note of this old, blabbering fool, ye still alive souls, and pray that ye never ever get to behold<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

a fate such as this; for \u2018tis nothing but the beginning of the end\u2026 when the bells begin to toll.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I hope you liked it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And I would be more than happy to get your thoughts and feedback regarding the same, and it would be very much appreciated if you could maybe spare some time to do so.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cheers!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

This poem was penned for an international poetry competition organized by Dream Quest One, who have been hosting poetry and writing contests twice a year since 2005-06. Apart from getting your work published online in their “Dare to Dream pages”, the top three winners of each contest also get to win handsome cash prizes. There...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4075,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[176],"tags":[172],"class_list":["post-4041","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-contests","tag-poem"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t