Brought to you by the Write…Edit…Publish team and inspired by this iconic 1893 Edvard Munch painting.
“The prompt is wide open to interpretations – who will it be that screams? And why – in pain, terror or exultation?
Will it be a human scream that rends the air? Or an animal one? Or a scream from another world altogether?
Or will it be a cosmic scream of the planet?
A silent scream in colours, like the one Munch felt in a sunset sky above a fjord? Or an articulated one in sound and words?
Just a gasp or piercingly loud? That’s up to you, we’ve got our ears cocked and ready listening for it.”
Have you ever woken up screaming in the middle of the night?
My submission for this challenge is a couple of poems I wrote on the subject a few years ago.
SCREAM! A NIGHTMARISH TALE
[Quatrain – AAAA]
Eyes wide
Must hide
Which side?
Petrified!
Regret
Not yet
Fear sweat
All set
Pin click
Feel sick
Hard kick
Die, prick!
Slight gleam
Light beam
I scream
Just a dream
OH WELL!
[Tercet – AAB]
She’s drunk and she’s hurtin’
Set fire to the curtain
Oh well…
Watching the flames
As if playing games
Oh well…
Those lovely blue eyes
Appear mesmerized
Oh well…
She falls to the floor
And is conscious no more
Oh well…
Then wakes up screaming
She was only dreaming!
Oh well…
Try again tomorrow!
Word count: 91
FCA
Tagline: Have you ever woken up screaming in the middle of the night?
For some outstanding writing, click HERE to see what the other participants are offering.
**WEP TEAM**
Denise Covey-Founder/Host / Yolanda Renee – Co-Host / L.G. Keltner – Co Host
Nilanjana Bose – Co-Host / Jemi Fraser – Co-Host / Olga Godim – Badges
Nick Wilford – Judge / Lee McKenzie – IWSG Liason
Have you ever woken up screaming in the middle of the night? #dogladysden #WEPFF #WEP #writingchallenge #poetry #SCREAM #nightmares #nightterrors Share on X
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Dog Mom and (retired) Canine Innkeeper in suburban Toronto, Canada, known as The Doglady. Former corporate workaholic. Writer, photographer, digital creator. Animal lover, music fanatic, inveterate traveller. Eternal hippie/rockchick. History, literature and cinema buff. Hockey and soccer fan. Dedicated night owl. German/Canadian binational, multilingual. Let me entertain you!
54 thoughts on “THE SCREAM | #WEPFF OCTOBER 2021 CHALLENGE”
Wow very original take! Much said in few words. I’m happy to say that when I dream of something it never happens – I guess that’s the opposite of a premonition! So yes, I’ve woken up screaming only to be immediately relieved that it was only a dream and will never come true!!!
Thank you, Carole! 🙂 I know the feeling as well. Cheers!
Creative and poetic take. I thought poetry wasn’t for me, but these lines were fun and true. Yes, I’ve woken screaming… and silently… realising I was still asleep, fighting to escape.
Hi Roland, I’m so glad you enjoyed the poems! 🙂 I think many of us can relate to having bad dreams. Thanks for coming by!
Hi Debbie! I loved your poems. You have an amazing sense of rhythm.
‘Regret
Not yet
Fear sweat
All set’
sums up the tension before the deed, and I felt her determination and that she was right to do what she did.
Thank you so much, Kalpana! ? Musical training from childhood. 🙂 I was going for short but not-so-sweet. 😉
That was a rock ’em, sock ’em entry. Very different. Very fun with the twist at the end.
I’m glad you enjoyed the poems! 🙂 Thanks for visiting.
Hi Debbie,
Visiting your blog after so long! But it felt good to see your name in the WEP list.
I liked those poems. A lot said in a few words!
Thankfully, I haven’t woken up screaming but I have had some really bad dreams and I woke up sweating, my heart beating like a drum.
Hi Shilpa! I was also happy to see an entry from you. 🙂 Glad you enjoyed the poems. I can relate to the sweating and rapid heartbeats but have woken up screaming on occasion. Thanks for coming by!
I’ve been having some funny dreams recently, but nothing that bad! Very clever and a good take on the prompt!
I’m glad your dreams haven’t been too nightmarish and that you enjoyed the poems. Thanks! 🙂
Fun poems, which might be a weird thing to say about nightmares, but there it is :). I don’t think I’ve ever actually screamed, but I have had some nightmares that disturbed me to the depths of my being.
Thanks! I was trying to have fun with them. 🙂 I know what you mean. Some nightmares stay with you for a long time.
Both are good but I especially like the second one.
Love,
Janie
Thank you, Janie! 🙂 Nightmares are so disturbing.
Debbie,
Your first entry especially grabbed me but you did a fab job on both poems. A dream has pulled me out of my sleep screaming, maybe not a high pitch, blood curdling kind you hear in movies but still the nightmare frightened me bad enough that it made me make a noise and I bet it scared DH half to death.
Hi Cathy, I’m glad you enjoyed the poems. 🙂 When we first got married, I once screamed so loud the woman in the apartment below us came to see if everything was alright. Thankfully, those incidents are few and far between.
Hi Debbie,
I REALLY enjoyed your take on this prompt. The images are HYSTERICAL!
Thank you, Michael! 🙂 My favourite is the shaky woman with the glass. Cheers!
Your poems have a great rhythm and address the subject well. You captured that feeling of waking from a terrifying nightmare. Well done!
Thank you so much, Laura! ? Having personal experience surely helps. 🙂
Too many times, way too many times, have I awoken from a dream screaming. You’ve captured it beautifully. The pictures portray the drams well, but the words express the real horror! Love it!
Yolanda, I, too, know the feeling well and appreciate your comments. ? Thanks so much!
Hi,
Your poems drew me into the dream of a woman, seeing things that troubled her in her sleep and waking up to realize it was only a dream.
Very well done.
I’m glad you enjoyed the poems, Pat. Thanks so much for coming by! 🙂
Your poems sounded great to me Debbie, and Nila said the meter and visuals were perfect! High praise! So many have chosen poetry this challenge – love it. Oh well…Fantastic job. Glad to have you this challenge. Hope to see you again!
Thank you so much, Denise! ? Yes, I was chuffed by Nila’s comment and hope to get the writing muse back in gear.
Great take on the prompt! And the choice of meter and the visuals are just perfect. Thank you for sharing these poems and hope to read more from you in future challenges.
Thank you so much for those kind words, Nila! ? Coming from such an accomplished poet as yourself, I’m chuffed. 😀
Hi Deb
Liked all those pictures with the short phrases. Will she scream? Oh well.
Nancy
We can always try again tomorrow! 😀 I’m glad you enjoyed the poems. Thanks for coming by, Nancy!
Wow, you’ve said so much in so few words. That’s what’s cool about your poems. I’ve never woke up screaming, but I’ve I’ve tried to scream in a dream and nothing came out. When I wake up from a scary dream I’m always hungry. Strange. Thanks for a good read.
Welcome to The Den, Lenny! I’m so glad you enjoyed the poems. 🙂 Waking up hungry from a bad dream probably means you expended a lot of energy. 😉 Thanks for coming by!
Yes I’ve awakened screaming. I’ve also woke up trying to scream and nothing would come out.
Have a fabulous day and rest of the week, Debbie. ♥
I’ve had similar experiences, Sandee, and they are unsettling. Here’s to sweeter dreams. ? Thanks for coming by!
Some dreams are really scary. Great post.
They certainly are. I’m glad you enjoyed the post. Here’s to sweeter dreams! 🙂
Some dreams are so vivid – when you wake up you have to think a moment to make sure you’re still not dreaming! Love your poems!
Yes, I’ve had a few dreams like that as well. I’m glad you enjoyed the poems, Carrie Ann. Thanks for coming by! 🙂
A bunch of hard hitting heart tugging poems. Loved it, Debbie
Welcome to The Den, Neel! ?♀️ I’m so glad you enjoyed the poems. Thanks for coming by. 🙂
Very clever and creative, Debbie! Yes, I have woken up screaming because of a bad dream. A rare but unsettling occurrence.
Thanks, Eugenia! 🙂 Yes, bad dreams are definitely unsettling. Thankfully, few and far between.
Bad dreams are such a mystery! The unknown origins scare me as much as the dreams themselves, but yes, I will try again tomorrow!
They are, indeed! 🙂 Thanks for coming by. Here’s to sweeter dreams! ?
Love these. The ‘try again tomorrow’ line hit me hard! Well done!
Yup, there’s always tomorrow. Thanks, Jemi! 😀
Beautifully written, Debbie.
Thank you so much! ♥
Hi Debbie – love those … great fun to read – so clever too. And – yes – I can occasionally wake myself up … but I don’t think I’ve been screaming, though my heart can be pumping occasionally – cheers Hilary
Thanks, HIlary. I think most of us have had bad dreams at some point. Cheers! 🙂
Clever – and beautifully illustrated.
Sadly I have often woken screaming, silently in my head…
Thank you so much! I too have experienced this, but not recently.