Beware What Lurks in the Dark: It’s Dark In Here is a frightening collection of horror poetry and art

 

 

It’s Dark In Here: a collection of horror poetry and art

Amanda Ruzsa

Independently Published, 2025

ISBN-13: ‎ 979-8292292692

Ebook, 89 ppg.

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Horror poetry has a way of staying with you, especially if it has art to go with it. Reading the horror poetry collection It's Dark In Here: a collection of horror poetry and art by Amanda Ruzsa has that kind of impact. These poems are not just poems meant to scare readers, but they also haunt those who dare to read them. They linger as dark moments that are difficult to escape from, attaching themselves to the soul and slowly feasting on the reader's sense of security.  

 

The poem “Trapped” really has a suffocating feel to it. With lines like “The tides are high/Ripples of water swirling/Around me” and “Even as I tread water/Darkness spreads.” It really made me feel isolated and confined.

 

“Bent Neck Lady” was really creepy. Okay, first of all, I have to say that the image of a lady with a bent neck is in itself disturbing. The poem is also creepy: “I feel the sticky breath of rot/Warming my tear-streaked face/If I could move, I still would not/For fear she’d then give chase.” This nightmarish creature “with gnarled claws” haunts a new home and the speaker in this poem is terrified of it. The accompanying artwork of this “bent neck lady” is equally terrifying.

 

“She Played for the Devil” is a very haunting poem. “Her bow dances/on strings that cannot break” seems to imply that this unseen player of a violin that is buried deep within the earth plays nonstop. This is confirmed by the lines “She’s cursed/She’s trapped/And she mustn’t stop playing.” This poor soul is doomed to play for all eternity and should she ever slip or stop, then chaos ensues in the world above her. I loved how this poem was written. It shares what happens if she stops playing the violin, and why she must continue to play no matter what.

 

Some of the poems had surprise endings: “She Eats the Dark” and “Hung” and “Home Invasion.” Other poems really touched on dark moments as well as horrific events. There’s a good mix of monstrous creatures and horror in all of these poems. All of these poems created a haunting and terrifying reading experience.

 

It's Dark In Here is a frightening collection of horror poetry and art. The artwork accompanying the poems is dark and creepy. It’s certainly a must-read for fans of horror poetry, as well as a collector item that contains some stellar art from some of today’s outstanding independent artists.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I downloaded a copy of this ebook as part of my Kindle Unlimited subscription. This review is entirely voluntary.

Something Evil Lurks in Texas: The Configuration Discordant is a collection of horror poetry brimming with gods and monsters

 

 

The Configuration Discordant: An exploration of poetry through the lens of murder, madness, and monsters

John Baltisberger

A Things in the Well Publication, 2019

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When it comes to books of horror poetry, readers don’t know what to expect. Would they be exposed to guts and gore? Terrifying monsters? Or dark days of doom? In the horror poetry collection, The Configuration Discordant: An exploration of poetry through the lens of murder, madness, and monsters by John Baltisberger, readers will get all of that, and more. This collection of poems gripped me from the very beginning and it sent chills down my spine as I continued to read.

 

With some of these poems, it helps to remember that this is a collection of horror poetry. Yes, that is what that poem really means. Yes, that narrator of a poem actually IS diabolical and evil. And, yes, that particular poem really is meant to be dark and scary. There is no softening of a message in these poems. There is no light horror and the author leaves no holds barred.

 

Take, for example, the poem “The Family.” You would think it is just a poem introducing the reader to a family, but, no. Something else is going on in this poem. Something nightmarish. And it is only getting to the end of the poem that the reader discovers what it is.

 

The poem “Glass Eyes” has a hidden meaning to it. The reader should think a minute about that title and in which case something would have glass eyes. The lines “Thrown out into the garbage/To the incinerator/But I will always come back” indicate that this is an evil thing that can’t be destroyed. An evil thing that kills.

 

“Household” is another creepy poem. It is obviously describing a rotting building that is falling apart (“olden hallways filled with dust”) but it is home to those who still linger within its rooms and hallways. But beware to anyone who dares to tread within it! For if you fall into the trap, you will not be able to escape so easily. As the lost souls in the poem state: “Greetings! You seem to be stranded/You are welcome in my household.”

 

I really enjoyed reading the poem “Rat King.” There are so many different kinds of poems written about the Rat King, and this is one of the good ones. It is dark and terrifying. It makes the Rat King into a much bigger monster than before. I liked the surprise at the end, as well.

 

There are quite a few poems in this book about Texas, and about the sinister forces hidden within it. I am not sure what the meaning is behind this, but it made for interesting reading. I have only visited Texas once, and perhaps there was some kind of monster in the sandstorm me and my family had to drive through when we were there.

 

“We Called Them Kaiju” is another good poem in this book. I like how, among the mix of monsters and mythological creatures in this book, the kaiju are included. These lines from this poem especially stood out:

 

“the cityscape was unimportant

we all ran when they came

their roars echoed discordant

washing us away in flame

our greatest works laid flat

destroyed so easily

destruction reigned in their path

all of us slaughtered equally” (Page 111)

 

Another poem I enjoyed reading is “((Them)).” Like some of the other poems in this book, it changes course from the usual horrific poems about monsters and deities and speaks out against fascism and oppression. These beginning lines of the poem resonated with me:

 

“I am ((Them))

forged in the fires of hateful places

I am ((them))

centuries of stereotypes held in stasis

what do ((I)) know about the way the world works?

what have you put in to learn who ((we)) are?

judging ((us)) with knowing disdainful smirks

your own prejudice elevating ((us)) to the stars.” (Page 116)

 

I also loved the artwork that is in this book. My favorite one was the art following the poem “Toymaker” that is on page 25 (and “Toymaker” on page 24 is quite a creepy poem!).

 

The Configuration Discordant is a haunting collection of poetry of monsters, creatures, and deities both known and unknown. The poems reflect the quest for the survival of humankind in the face of the many battles taking place, as well as poems of power and resistance. There are also horror poems that would terrify readers, as well as poems about the unknown. Altogether, it is a collection of dark poetry sure to be enjoyed by fans of horror poetry.

 

 

Five stars

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book for research purposes and elected to also write a review of it. This review is entirely voluntary.

Your Worst Nightmare: More Regrets Than Glories is a collection of terrifying horror poetry

 

 

More Regrets Than Glories: A Collection of Dark Poetry

Rick Powell

Independently Published, 2015

ISBN: 978-1-329-51719-6

Ebook, 79 ppg.

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Most collections of horror poetry tend to offer the same tried and true scare tactics to create a terrifying reading experience, but that’s not what will happen for readers of the horror poetry book More Regrets Than Glories: A Collection of Dark Poetry by Rick Powell. Here we are served a collection of unique and terrifying tales of ghosts, monsters, killers, and characters who are hellbent on revenge. These poems are filled with dark atmospheres, creepy moods, and chilling narratives. It is certainly a good collection of horror poetry to read either during spooky season or just to enjoy some well-written horror poetry.

 

Also unlike most collections of horror poetry, the scare effects are not overdone. There is no “gore for gore sake” and it is just the right amount of horror without pandering to a stereotype. Additionally, the dark tone in many of the poems pulled me in and kept me reading until the very end, often with one last shot of a horrifying realization or a surprising twist at the end.

 

There are a variety of dark poems in this book. From poems about ghosts, a siren, and a woman murdering her husband on their wedding night, these poems offer chills and thrills for readers.

 

The poem “Stair” takes place on a decrepit staircase, but that is not the only thing the person in the poem needs to work about. For something haunts that staircase. Something that incites fear and leaves the poor soul in terror.

 

Something that is otherworldly and no longer living.

 

“I climbed to the first landing, the steps felt like bloated flesh, 

The rails were cold and clammy, like a cadaver’s lonely kiss, 

I turned and considered ascending, the cold enveloping my form. 

When I saw a ghostly figure, like a flickering candle in the mist. 

 

Her countenance was malignant, there was evil in her eyes, 

A pallor of the palest white, her white hair a floating haze,

My eyes were open wide, I could not breathe to let out a scream, 

My whole body turned to stone, I could not break her demonic gaze.”

 

This poem reminded me of how there are many haunted staircases in houses with ghostly sightings. In this particular case, although fictional, such a haunting is captured well.

 

The poem “Nadia” was terrifying! At first, I thought that Nadia was a ghost haunting some location, but she is more than that. She is a vengeful spirit, one which wives suspicious of their husbands can solicit a service from. This poem is written so well and it’s almost like a warning to unfaithful husbands of a REAL ghost to be aware of.

 

“The Muse” is another good poem, and one this writer could relate to. A writer’s muse has a way of giving us ideas when we are preoccupied with other things, then it is MIA when we need it. 

 

“When I want you, you are never there, 

Being evasive for what seems like ages, 

I try to figure out a way to call you forth, 

I search unnamed books, I scan yellowed pages. 

 

I sometimes walked through a desolate forest, 

Hoping, vainly, to hear a hint of your tread, 

Knowing your footfall would not touch dead leaves, 

Praying your voice will echo in my lonely head.”

 

I also enjoyed reading the poem “Notches” because it has an ending that I didn’t expect. I love how the supposed “victim” refuses to accept their fate. The kind of action taken was most fitting.

 

“The Midnight Hour” was another creepy poem. It sent chills down my spine! Powell really excelled at creating a dark, spooky mood in this particular poem. Reading about the dark creatures that lurk at the midnight hour made me want to stay inside during such a time! 

 

I loved the way the poem “The Coachman” ended. Some people may not like open endings in poems, but I enjoy how it leaves the ending up to the reader. It is not really an end in itself, but more of a prelude to what lies ahead. The poem gives enough clues for the reader to understand what is happening and who the coachman really is. Once again, the setting and mood in this poem are excellent. 

 

“She Reads Poems to Stones” is another poem with a surprising ending. But unlike “Notches,” this particular ending is not so dark or sinister. Yes, it is chilling, but also, not so unexpected, given that it is set in a cemetery. In a way, it makes sense, though the realization is a sad one. 

 

There are so many other great poems in this book: “I Walk Alone in the Dark” and “Placebo” and “Shall We Dance” and “Lathe” and “I Hold Her Hand” and “Cairn” and “Party” are just some of the really good ones that stayed with me. The poems are dark, creepy, and sinister. They will leave many haunting impressions on the reader long after they finish reading this book. 

More Regrets Than Glories is a collection of dark and terrifying poetry that will haunt and frighten readers. Filled with horrors of the supernatural and sinister, these poems offer a chilling atmosphere sure to be enjoyed by fans of horror poetry. Read at your own risk, if you dare!

 

 

Five stars

 

 

Disclaimer: I purchased this ebook and this review is entirely voluntary.