Vampire
by Frank Watson

Time begins in flesh
left soul-less after death


yet living through the essence

of those who believe.


In a lunatic’s soul


The vampire gives birth

to circulating qi


that winds through sucking tunnels

connecting the limbs and mind.


we feel the toll


You have killed one man,

so what’s another


in a night that’s black

with waters of abyss?


the hangman’s noose


You can’t murder a man

who’s been dead for centuries,


for there is wisdom in the dead,

and a blind burning in love.


we struggle loose


And in our veins there is life,

the blood of Abraham


that carried a people starved

and stabbed by men of war.

But there are things that are worse than death

when the heart is drunk


and secrets leak from the grave

and what we see is the illusion of flesh.



Note: Qi or chi (both the same, just romanized differently), in Chinese medicine, is something like energy of life, a vital force that circulates through the body along pathways, analogous to the body's bio-electricity and heat. Practices like Chi Gong (qigong)  attempt to improve the flow of qi for health benefits.



Allusions: Garrett Fort, Sylvia Plath, Guy Endore, various old Dracula movies.

This is written for today’s dVersePoet’s prompt, “vampires,” which I am guest-hosting.

Please see my translation of Charles Baudelaire's "Vampire" for his take on the subject.  

All writings and translations are Copyright © by Frank Watson, also writing as "Blue Flute" (2011-2014).
Year: 
2012