Bluebeard

Bluebeard

 

No treasures in sight
or even within reach –

The bodies surround her,
an encircling moat

Pouring through
the forbidden chamber.

An object of curiosity,
a dead possibility

In every corner.
Frozen in time,

Horrors seep from their lips,
crimson and bloodied.

Corpses trapped between,
knowing nothing but dark closets.

Coiled like shrimp,
they writhe lifelessly,

Shrivelled and pink,
a flower shrinking back into itself.

The key dangles on the hook,
ready for another look.

 

Kirsty A Niven

Kirsty A. Niven is from Dundee, Scotland. Her poetry has appeared in numerous publications, including  The Machinery, The Dawntreader, Dundee Writes and Laldy!