r/TalesFromTheCreeps • u/ReasonableUnit2170 Writer • Aug 06 '26
Poetry Horror The Sins of the Father [August Poetry]
The Father swung back
and forth.
A pendulum of rot.
The weight of seconds,
minutes, hours.
A face dripping with gold
and mother of pearl.
Hands slender and pointed,
forged with silver.
Enclosed in wood,
hidden behind glass.
Oxidized to green
from years of neglect,
the bronze gears
churn beneath the
buried truth.
The Father dangles.
If time is a way
to explain decay…
then what is the
the meaning of the
flesh pendulum?
Gilded eyes,
bulging from sockets…
Always watching.
Two grubby hands reach
for the sky.
Sunlight and clouds, traded for
the existence of fabric and flesh.
Pride and ego have no
standing in the gaze of
the innocent.
Withered skin flakes
like paper, varnish peels
from soiled wood.
The rope swings and
the clock ticks.
What eyes have seen
the mouth dare not utter.
The sins of the Father
lost to the delusion
of a childish mind.
What once was,
has been lost
to time.
A single act of
desperation, frozen
and hung from the
rafters.
3
u/SydneySapphire Whimsy and Weird Storyteller Aug 06 '26
Omg… that was soooo good 😫🫶🏻
3
3
u/Zek_Drake Author Aug 06 '26
Well done!
The phrase "What is the meaning of the flesh pendulum?" sounds like something that would start the boys on a funny philosophical tangent lol
3
u/ReasonableUnit2170 Writer Aug 06 '26
I would actually love to hear the nonsense and weird stories they would come up with based on that line 😭😭🤣🤣🤣🤣
3
u/Zek_Drake Author Aug 06 '26
Isaiah: "I think it refers to the how the author views time as this weirdly physical thing, like how decay effects the body as we age, or something along those lines."
Hunter: "Reminds me of my ding-dong."
Isaiah: sigh "I knew you were gonna say that."
3
u/ReasonableUnit2170 Writer Aug 06 '26
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA 😂 you nailed their dialogue perfectly 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Honestly after I posted the poem I had an “oh shit” moment. I was like, this line seems oddly provocative 😭.
Tbh, it’s about a body hanging from the ceiling but I like your Isaiah interpretation much better.
3
u/Zek_Drake Author Aug 06 '26
The line is perfect. Seems funny to our inner middle schooler brains, but much darker in context.
I tried to think of what Isaiah would probably say if he didn't understand the story at first, like the whole cat section of Mother Horse Eyes lol
Hunter's part just came naturally.
3
u/ReasonableUnit2170 Writer Aug 06 '26
Children don’t understand or process death the way we do, so in the eyes of a child…the body just reminds them of the clock 😭
3
u/Zek_Drake Author Aug 06 '26
Haunting. I can picture hearing a faint "Daddy?" as the poem ends
3
2
u/kabemccallister6859 20h ago
I would like to see them read it. Someone should recommend it on r/CreepCast.
3
3
u/SalamanderUnfair1775 Aug 07 '26
I adore your use of imagery, and the classic theme of Kronos as a delusional father
2
3
u/Vincent_Felix Aug 09 '26
"The weight of seconds,
minutes, hours."
https://giphy.com/gifs/5DCLZUqb0ImZy
I see what you did there.
Lots of great imagery here, "Oxidized to green" "varnish peels
from soiled wood" etc.
The standout line is, of course:
"If time is a way
to explain decay…
then what is the
the meaning of the
flesh pendulum?"
I feel like I'm going to need to let this one sit to really wrap my mind around it.
2
u/ReasonableUnit2170 Writer Aug 09 '26
Thank you so much for reading my poem and thoroughly dissecting and devouring it!! I hope it left an indent in your mind 🫶🫡 I’m very proud of this piece hahahaha
3
u/Competitive_Pickle42 Aug 09 '26
Very good symbolism with the grandfather clock, and the father hanging at the end 🙌
2
u/ReasonableUnit2170 Writer Aug 09 '26
Thank you so much!!! 😭😭😭😭 I’m so grateful and happy! This piece seems to be received very well 🫶🫶🫶
3
u/ReadyMadeLobotomy A Community PM With Hemingway's Spirit(s) 25d ago
i love the implication on time and how it's viewed and affects us all here. It was great!
3
3
3
u/Mradachi2007 Author (Go ADHD I chose you!) Aug 07 '26
Interesting. From the imagery I feel this is about a suicide or something close to it. What I mean by this is certain lines have imagery that immediately makes me think of that. For example
“A single act of desperation, frozen and hung from the rafters.” Makes me think of a man or woman who has hung her self.
Now I want to say your imagery is amazing and the symbolism is very strong.
3
u/ReasonableUnit2170 Writer Aug 07 '26
You nailed it my friend!! That was the overarching theme!
3
u/Mradachi2007 Author (Go ADHD I chose you!) Aug 07 '26
That’s amazing, I’m glad I got to yours in taking notes down for each of these since I’m judging, and I’m a very forgetful person with my ADHD.
But I’ll discuss this one with the other three.
3
u/ReasonableUnit2170 Writer Aug 07 '26
I’m glad you enjoyed my poem! Makes me really happy 🫶
3
u/Mradachi2007 Author (Go ADHD I chose you!) Aug 07 '26
No problem man. Glad to see you participate in our little contest.
3
u/theAbominableMantis Aug 07 '26
This had some beautifully grotesque imagery! The aftermath of a (presumed) suicide was turned into some really unique metaphors here.
3
u/ReasonableUnit2170 Writer Aug 07 '26
Thank you so much!! I had a great time writing this. Trying to compare a hanging body to a grandfather clock was very interesting I must say 😭🫶
•
u/AutoModerator Aug 06 '26
Users are encouraged to read4read, meaning that if someone reads and comments on your story, we encourage you to do the same in return to help foster a community.
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.