Black Petals Issue #99, Spring, 2022

Home
Editor's Page
Artist's Page
Mars-News, Views and Commentary
Are You Full? Fiction by James Kompany
Bunker-Fiction by Ron Capshaw
Buy Here, Pay Here-Fiction by Kim Bonner
The Church of the Coyotes Who Would be Wolves-Fiction by Roy Dorman
Elm Mills-Fiction by Mack Severns
Hearts in the Gutter-Fiction by Lamont Turner
Midnight Espresso-Fiction by David Starobin
Spider Bite-Fiction by N. G. Leonetti
Test Tube Babies-Fiction by Kilmo
Witches' Jubilee-Fiction by Hillary Lyon
Biter: A Love Story-Flash Fiction by Harris Coverley
New Mail-Flash Fiction by Eddie D. Moore
Reasons Not to Wake Up a Sleeping Beggar in the Morning-Flash Fiction by Marcelo Medone
While I was Frozen-Flash Fiction by K. A. Williams
Woodshop for Werewolves-Flash Fiction by Mark Jabaut
Bruja-Flash Fiction by Cindy Rosmus
First Light-Poem by Jeffrey Park
Soul Music-Poem by Jeffrey Park
Stalker-Poem by Jeffrey Park
Zombies in Space-Poem by Jeffrey Park
Bleeding Senses-Poem by Jess Boaden
I'd Like to Speak to the Manager-Poem by Carl E. Reed
The Woods (Behind My House)-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Nocturnal Mode-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
When I Find You-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Ethereal-Poem by Kenneth Vincent Walker
Fall-Poem by Mike Edele
Death-Poem by Mike Edele
Where Will You Be-Poem by Mike Edele
Giant Cockroach-Poem by Richard Stevenson
The Allegewi-Poem by Richard Stevenson
Tokoloshe-Poem by Richard Stevenson
The Ghoul-Poem by Richard Stevenson

Bleeding Senses

 

Jess Boaden

 

The moments of clarity in colours

Bright greens of spring leaves

Dark brown dirt after a rainy day

Pale blue stretched above the world to see

The moments of soft-spoken wind

Birds chattering, dogs lapping at the air

Children giggling, squealing under sun

Small feet stomping over wooden planks

 

Only to fade and blur in seconds

Crashing down around the scene

Bliss turned to terror

Shots ringing out

Head falling back against the ground

Arms heavy, strayed aside

Blood draining through the unfamiliar hole

 

Tasting the metallic on the tongue

Pulsing in beat, growing slower

Fewer and farther between

Smells floating in a haze

Smoke and gun powder

Erased in the sudden stinging wind

Fading with each second

 

Feeling the soft rain-slick dirt

Soaking already tender flesh

Numbness spreading

Hearing tingling, trying to focus

Suffocated silence until faint sirens

Stirring in the distance

Cries of pain echoing, too far, too late

 

Green fading to grey

Blue bleeding into darkness

Pushing against the corners

Closing in around

Moments are all that are needed to know

To know that they are final

Final in sound, final in sight

Final in forever





Jess Boaden is an aspiring editor who loves to dabble in writing, specifically all things dark and gruesome. Jess has a Bachelor of Arts degree, specialising in creative writing and has worked with multiple authors as a beta reader and junior developmental editor in the YA fantasy genre. Jess is an avid reader of all books but loves to sit down with a good fantasy or dark romance. Currently, she resides in Canberra, Australia with her partner and bunny, Sven.



Site Maintained by Fossil Publications