Down in the damp crypt
Rotten flesh resurrecting
Lusting for warm blood
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If you like this or need a bit of fright check out my collection of scary poems and haiku.
Available on Amazon:
Nightlight Poetry: Spine-Tingling Lines and Rhymes.
Link:
Tag: Zombies
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Fear Filled Fridays (9/28/2018): Zombie Shuffler
Rotting stinking corpse
Shambling, rambling, and roaming
In the mood for flesh
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Fear Filled Fridays (4/20/2018): Groundskeeper
Man on a mower
Cutting between the gravestones
Corpses start to wake
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Haiku – 11/24/2016
We give thanks today
Eat lots and lots of turkey
Pass out soon after
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HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
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. . . Dawn stood there a moment, surveyed with her ears, listening for shuffling, listening for anything that disturbed the peace and quiet. She heard something. It was faint, coming from the rear of the store. She would have to keep her wits about her, as she tried to find food that was still edible for a Thanksgiving feast.
She stepped past the dead man lying over the conveyor belt, and paused in front of the candy section, which hadn’t been looted. Dawn grabbed a bag of hard candies and ripped it open. She started to munch on the rainbow of flavor, as she slung her backpack off her back and dropped it onto the conveyor belt. She unzipped the big front pocket, opened it wide, and emptied the candy shelf into it–making sure to get only candy that wouldn’t melt.
Dawn finished up her candy treat, took a pause, reloaded her gun, and gulped down a bottle of water. When she felt rested, she zipped up the big front pocket on her backpack and slung the bag onto her back.
“Well, let’s hope this store has what I’m looking for,” she replied to herself, as she started walking, gun forward, light splashing across the dark store, eyes darting down each aisle, looking for food, looking for zombies in the dark; and it was dark. The spotlight in front of her and the late afternoon light coming in from the front of the store barely pierced the blackness.
The inside of the store, she noticed, had the same result as the parking lot. It looked like a mob of animals had just bulldozed its way through, knocking over shelves, people, carts, busting out the glass in the frozen food sections. Dead bodies were scattered everywhere. Most of them looked like they had died fighting for supplies or fending off zombies. She gave each dead body she found a good ole knife to the brain just to make sure that dead body wouldn’t get up and come after her.
After exploring for a few minutes, Dawn stopped to take a sip of water when she found a shelf with a couple of cans of cranberries on it. She took off her back pack and dropped it onto the floor. She kneeled down, opened it up, and put a can of cranberries into it beside the sweet potatoes, the box of stuffing, the oyster crackers and canned yams she had found earlier that day.
She paused when she heard the shuffling again. Too close for comfort. However many zombies that were still left in the store were definitely on to her. They could sense her warm presence, and they were hungry for it.
Dawn scanned the area she was now in, back of the store, near the once bustling fresh meat section, meat that was now rancid and rotten. She noticed something, as she squatted there, the smell of rancid meat seemed to be moving closer to her somehow. How a smell could move in her direction she wasn’t sure. There was no breeze in the store to push it. The air was dead and calm.
She zipped up her bag, stood up, and hoisted the bag onto her back. She grunted a bit from the weight when it landed on her shoulders. It wasn’t so heavy that she couldn’t run or walk with it on, but she was approaching her weight limit.
Dawn looked up the aisle, light splashing on empty shelves, and an empty store. Seeing nothing moving, she turned around, and the smell of rancid meat engulfed her, wrapped her in its vomit-inducing embrace. The thing causing the smell was a zombie, and he was wearing a butcher’s outfit with all kinds of rotten body parts stuffed into the pockets of his butcher’s coat. He had wrapped intestines around his neck like a chain, and his meat cleaver was held high, ready to chop, chop, chop.
The meat cleaver swung downward causing Dawn to drop her gun, as she moved out of its way. The cleaver clanged down into a nearby shelf with a loud bang, as the gun bounced on the floor and rattled off into the darkness. She retrieved her knife as the zombie grabbed her with his free hand. He decided not to chop anymore as he lunged towards her. He was ready to get some flesh between his teeth, and the meat cleaver wouldn’t help him with that. Dawn could smell the rotten odor on his breath, which smelled like week old dead flesh, as he went in for the fatal bite. Somehow, heavy as he was, she managed to push him back; and then with all her eighteen-year-old might, managed to jam the sharp blade into its head. The zombie quickly fell to the floor.
She was about to reach down for her blade when she heard shuffling behind her. She turned around and two more zombies were coming towards her, spotlighted by the light on her head. One was in a shirt and a tie, probably the former manager, BOB was the name on his name tag; and he looked like a Bob. The other was dressed like a store employee somewhere in the late teenage years. Dawn looked down at the floor, searching frantically for her gun, and found it. She leaned over, heavy bag on her back nearly tipping her forward, and grabbed it. She yanked the gun up with her right hand, and steadied it with her left. Two silent shots, two flashes of red fire, and two heads exploded when the bullet met their brains. Their roaming time was done.
Dawn stood there, and tried not to give in to the part of her that screamed “I’m a frustrated and scared little girl that only wants her mommy;” but she couldn’t help it. She gave in to it; and she cried, cried until she had no more tears to give, till she was rung out like an empty sponge. When she was finished, she felt better, and decided to focus, to turn her zombie instincts on. There were no sounds of shuffling or any sounds for that matter. The store and the world outside were as silent and dead as the bodies that lay all around her.
She wiped away the tears on her cheeks, retrieved her blade, cleaned it, and stored it away. She then decided to see if there was a place in the back to sleep off the night. The shadows were growing thick; and it was almost too late to be outside, better to stay inside until the morning.
She walked over to the double doors that led into the back of the store. She stood there a moment and made sure her gun was in a “ready to shoot on a moment’s notice” position. It was, so she proceeded forward.
Dawn stopped on the other side, and shined her light across the back of the store, eyes looking the place over. All around her was destruction. The horde that had descended on this place hadn’t stopped at the parking lot or the front of the store. They had proceeded to this area as well, ransacking the place like a pack of wild animals.
As she stood there, Dawn could see that day in her head, the first day of the invasion, the day the world knew a Zombie Apocalypse wasn’t just a horror genre or a joke or something you watched weekly on AMC. This was the real deal, and it was happening now. She could see the trucks and cars backed up to the loading bay doors, people hauling out supplies, pushing, shoving, screaming, fighting to maintain that last little bit of life still left in the world. Most of them wouldn’t survive that day or that week or maybe that month, but as they scrambled for supplies they still had hope, hope that maybe they would be okay. That was enough to keep them going even as the world they knew fell apart around them . . .
A short story about a woman who risks life and limb in a Zombie Apocalypse in order to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive.
5 out of 5 stars: Keeping hope alive.
4 out of 5 stars: Wonderful story of giving and hope.
US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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Haiku – Turkey Time
On Thanksgiving Day
Open up your heart and home
Share a drink with friends
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For more prompts like “drink” go here: Haiku Horizons
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Dawn stood there a moment, surveyed with her ears, listening for shuffling, listening for anything that disturbed the peace and quiet. She heard something. It was faint, coming from the rear of the store. She would have to keep her wits about her, as she tried to find food that was still edible for a Thanksgiving feast.
She stepped past the dead man lying over the conveyor belt, and paused in front of the candy section, which hadn’t been looted. Dawn grabbed a bag of hard candies and ripped it open. She started to munch on the rainbow of flavor, as she slung her backpack off her back and dropped it onto the conveyor belt. She unzipped the big front pocket, opened it wide, and emptied the candy shelf into it–making sure to get only candy that wouldn’t melt.
Dawn finished up her candy treat, took a pause, reloaded her gun, and gulped down a bottle of water. When she felt rested, she zipped up the big front pocket on her backpack and slung the bag onto her back.
“Well, let’s hope this store has what I’m looking for,” she replied to herself, as she started walking, gun forward, light splashing across the dark store, eyes darting down each aisle, looking for food, looking for zombies in the dark; and it was dark. The spotlight in front of her and the late afternoon light coming in from the front of the store barely pierced the blackness. . .
A short story about a woman who risks life and limb in a Zombie Apocalypse in order to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive.
5 out of 5 stars: Keeping hope alive.
4 out of 5 stars: Wonderful story of giving and hope.
US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
PAPERBACK
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Haiku – Seasonal
Strings of Christmas lights
Wrapped around a green pine tree
Full of bright colors
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For more prompts like “string” go here: Haiku Horizons
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Now, most people would ask, why? Why worry about lawn decorations when the rest of the world was suffering through a Zombie Apocalypse?
It made Mike feel good inside, and he hoped that whoever saw it would feel a bit of that joy as well. That is why he did it. It might be a zombie-filled world, but he still hoped a lawn full of Christmas decorations would bring some kind of cheer to this dreary holiday season. It was the first Christmas since the zombie invasion. It was the first Christmas without his family. It was the least he could do.
Mike looked down at the four caroling zombies, as they went into a rendition of Frosty the Snowman, the year’s first snow only a couple of inches underneath their feet. The group, of course, was led by that one smart zombie. He was leading them and pointing to their books even though none of them turned a single page. He was the one that started grunting out the tune to Frosty just like the songs before, and the other zombies just sort of harmonized with his lead.
Mike aimed his gun at the leader, but had to stop because he couldn’t aim. His smile had turned into full-fledged laughter. He let the laughter pass, wiped the tears from his eyes, calmed himself, focused, and then started shooting.
By the time he was finished, fifteen zombies lay littered across the lawn, bleeding red into the snow, the four carolers included.
He went back inside, but didn’t feel up to the clean up just yet. He turned on the Christmas tree and watched the white and colored lights dance a blinking happy tune across the walls and ceiling of his room. He stoked the fire with more wood, turned on Christmas music, sat back in his chair, and closed his eyes. The last image he saw (which was on purpose mind you) was of the picture on his mantel. Smiles frozen forever, Christmas outfits never to be worn again.
From A Zombie Christmas, which you can find at the links below.
EBOOK:
US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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Haiku – 12/1/2015
Christmas on the brink
Lights, decorations, and song
Time to celebrate
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No time like the present (pun intended) to start to promote a few of my Holiday Horror Stories.
3 men try to save Christmas in a Zombie Apocalypse.
US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004GUS7WS?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
Print: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1502731088
A Vampire uses his riches and skills to spread joy throughout the holiday season.
US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KRCCTU0?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00KRCCTU0?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
So, how would you save Christmas in a Zombie Apocalypse or if you were a Vampire how would you spend your holiday time?
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Haiku – Thanksgiving
Big fat juicy bird
Football, family, and sleep
A time to give thanks
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She had no answer, as she bit her lip. Something occurred to her. “What about your light?” She asked.
“I know, I know. I’m not perfect. I also forgot my extra,” George replied. “Look, all I’m trying to get at is that I just want you safe. I can’t lose you. I’ve lost too much already.”
“I’m safe, and you won’t. You’re not the only one who’s lost too much.”
“I know, but, first light, we’re going back. Okay?”
“Not yet,” she replied.
“What do you mean?”
“We have to find a turkey.”
George nearly fell over when she dropped that one on him. “Sweetie, there’s nothing left. I’ve been through all the stores. I’ve been out looking for supplies. Trust me. It’s all gone.”
“We can’t give up like that. We’ve barely been through Cary or Morrisville or areas beyond,” she replied, trying not to think about the sleeping pills or other things she forced herself to do in order to just get here. She wasn’t leaving without that turkey, no matter how much George complained, she would find one even if it killed her.
“Powers been off for a while now? Any meat that is still available is about as rotten as these zombies, maybe more so. Plus, how would you cook it if you did find it? How would we get it back without it spoiling? How would you carry it? I’m sure a turkey big enough to feed six isn’t going to fit in your bag.”
A short story about a woman who risks life and limb in a Zombie Apocalypse in order to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive.
5 out of 5 stars: Keeping hope alive.
4 out of 5 stars: Wonderful story of giving and hope.
EBook:
US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
PAPERBACK: www.amazon.com/Zombie-Thanksgiving
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Haiku – No Luster
Dead leaves on the deck
Dark brown and crunchy they lie
Remnants of the fall
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Still free for one more day – A Zombie Thanksgiving. Find out in this short story what it takes to save Thanksgiving in a Zombie Apocalypse.
Amazon
US: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
CA: http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B00MS9NO40?*Version*=1&*entries*=0
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Monday Prompts 2
Yellow tinted leaves
A sign of fall arriving
Winter nipping soon
For more prompts like “winter” go here: A PROMPT EACH DAY
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After the earthquake
Rotten zombies with old flesh
Crawl from earthen graves
For more prompts like after go here: HAIKU HORIZONS
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As a total out of the blue side bar, I have to share this one today. My 3-year-old son said he liked the song “Margaritaville” today without me prompting him first. A lot of times if he acts like he likes a song or hums to it or something like that (mostly kid’s songs), I will ask if he likes it. He will say something about it, but today out of the blue he just said he liked “Margaritaville” with no prompting first. He’s been listening to Buffett and “Margaritaville” since he was at least 3 months old, maybe earlier than that. Kind of nice to know that I might just be raising another Parrothead. He loves the salt, salt, salt part of this song. Enjoy.
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Haiku – Happy Thanksgiving
Let’s give thanks today
Celebrate with those we love
And count our blessings
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In keeping with the day, here are a few things that might help set the mood or at least help you slip into slumber after that big Thanksgiving meal.
First: Yours truly appeared on this podcast with a small dramatic reading of my short story “A Zombie Thanksgiving.” Swing over to zombiesatemypodcast, put your feet up, loosen that tight belt from the all the food you ate, and just zone out.
Second: If you feel like reading, something to stimulate the mind as you let that food digest. You can grab a copy of my short story “A Zombie Thanksgiving” for 99 cents. That’s less than a turkey leg so it isn’t too bad a deal.
A short story about a woman who risks life and limb in a Zombie Apocalypse in order to keep the Thanksgiving tradition alive.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00MS9NO40
That’s my shameless plugs for the day. I hope your day is great and that you have a very Happy Thanksgiving!
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Haiku – Prisoner of the Storm
Hard rain is passing
Yellow sun breaking the gloom
Warming my body
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A couple of friendly reminders:
This short story is running free today through Tuesday.
Discover the evil and deadly secrets of The Living Sand this Halloween! Grab your copy at this link: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00766SS3M
I also have this Giveaway running right now.
Goodreads Book Giveaway
A Zombie Holiday Trilogy
by Anthony Renfro
Giveaway ends November 10, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads. -
Haiku – The “Alone in the Dark” Run
Cool of the night-time
Sliver of moon winking down
Shadows dark and thick
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Here are a couple of songs that fit perfectly with this run (though I didn’t listen to either one last night, nope, listened to Van Halen instead – something about them that is good to run to).
In case you were wondering why I didn’t post this last night. The reason was that I had posted a lot to this blog on Friday, so I thought I would give you guys a break. I don’t like to bombard with posts. I apologize if I ever do. There’s just a lot going on right now for me, as I try to get the word out.
A couple of reminders before I go: My collection of 6 Horror Short Stories is still running free today. Grab a copy if you haven’t gotten one already. Also, don’t forget about my Goodreads Giveaway. That’s all. Take care, and have a great Saturday.
You can read a bit of the Zombie Holiday Trilogy here: Zombie Sampler
Goodreads Book Giveaway
A Zombie Holiday Trilogy
by Anthony Renfro
Giveaway ends November 10, 2014.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007RQ5302
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Haiku – Coffee Zombie 2
Shuffling to the pot
Feet moving in the blind dark
Cursing and yawning
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http://delfinium-prints.bplaced.net/tassen.htm +
Since you have been so good and read this far. Here is a little more of the short story “A Zombie Thanksgiving.” Publishing September 4th or somewhere around it. Thanks again for reading and following.
Dawn looked behind her, then to her left and right. No other zombies shifted about in the late fall heat, at least not from where she was currently standing. She turned back to the store, steadied her nerves, and turned on her light (this light was on a strap that ran around her head, so she could keep her hands free). She made sure her knife was still in place (it was), and the gun was ready to fire. Both were ready to do the job they were meant to do. She started to walk, ever so slightly, crunching on broken glass as she moved forward.
The parking lot outside might have looked bad, cars burnt, turned over, crashed or abandoned, carts strewn about, bodies dead and decaying, birds picking at the best parts of their flesh; but inside the store it was a different world all together. This place looked like a massive mob had just bulldozed its way through, knocking over shelves, people, carts, busting out the glass in the frozen food sections. Dead bodies were scattered everywhere. Some had parts of shelves sticking out of them, some of them devoured by zombies, some partially eaten by animals living wild in the area. It was a picture of mass panic frozen in a time of chaos.
The smell inside the store also wasn’t pleasant, rotten flesh, rotten meat, spoiled milk, all kinds of putrid things in a state of decay mingled and danced together in the non-air-conditioned air. Dawn had a strong stomach, so she was able to force her brain to focus on pleasant subjects. This kept her stomach from losing what little bit of food she had in it.
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Digging it? Just give me a like and that will equal a thumbs up. I still have a few more previews coming before this story gets released. Be on the lookout for them.
PSST! You want to know a little secret.
Here’s a tip.
You can read the first four pages for free at Noise Trade and skip all this reading individual posts non-sense. Click this link to do it: http://books.noisetrade.com/atothewr/a-zombie-holiday-trilogy
Find the first Haiku in this series here: http://wp.me/p2kmxm-3m5
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Haiku – Coffee Zombie
Mumbling and grumbling
Acting on caffeine instincts
Shambling to the pot
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For more on zombies and horror subjects check out my new blog: azombiefortheholidays.wordpress.com
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http://www.zombieseverywhere.org/2010/12/wake-up-in-morning-feeling-like-zombie.html -
Haiku – Cool Start
Christmas in July?
Soft breeze, a nip in the air
Nice break from summer
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I can’t believe how nice it has been outside today. The weather is still warm, but the humidity has gone away. Couldn’t believe it when my son and I sat out on the deck this morning – he in his high chair, me just enjoying it. It made me think about the upcoming holiday season, which I hope to jump-start next week. My short story “A Zombie Christmas” will be running free for the next couple of Fridays on Kindle. Grab a copy to put you in the holiday mood. I also plan to have that story available elsewhere later on in the year. Okay, here’s a little Christmas music to set the mood. I hope you all had a great Fourth of July – thanks for reading and following.
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99 cents regular price – free the next two Fridays.
Review:
“Not often do you run across a zombie story with a message. Don’t give up hope. A lesson to be learned & applied in any circumstances. Well written & entertaining.”
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Haiku – The Abandoned Graveyard Redux
I had a couple of interesting comments about this particular Haiku that I wrote earlier in the week:
The cold grey headstones
Fresh light of dawn breaks on them
One grave is empty
When I wrote it my thinking was that a zombie had crawled up out of the Earth in order to do his zombie thing.
After I posted it I received this comment from: http://readinpleasure.wordpress.com/
The comment: I’m reading this as the empty tomb of Jesus. Anyhow, it is powerful
That’s an interesting take on it, so I thought I would write a new Haiku based off of that comment.
Buried for three days
The empty tomb of Jesus
Faith inspiration
See how the title “The Abandoned Graveyard” takes on a whole new meaning with that Haiku.
I then received this comment from: http://planetcyberluz.com/
This was the comment: Looks like the grave robbers have been
I also decided to write a Haiku based off of that one.
Grave robbers bitten
Torn open and ripped apart
Zombie plague begins
Again, the title “The Abandoned Graveyard” takes on a whole new meaning. It is a little closer to the zombie subject matter I was going for originally, but it is just slightly different.
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Haiku – Hunter
Zombie corpse seeks flesh
Human prey for blood desires
Won’t stop till it feeds
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Trigger finger, poised
Primal instincts, steady hands
Hunter takes his shot
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The cat sits silent
Eyes, like a clock, ticking slow
Watching and waiting
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A song by Dokken
With metal beats and rhythms
Awesome rocking tune
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Inspired by the theme at
A Poetry Journey 
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