When the Cicadas Cry

Photo by Snapwire on Pexels.com

In the furthest reaches of night, 

Spindly tree branches rustle softly

From a stale breeze

Twigs snap with a sharp whine, 

Noises emerging from every facet

Of this slowly decaying forest

The pitch black is overwhelming, 

Like a spectral curtain blocking

Any trace of light

In the crushing humidity

Of a midnight summer, 

I begin to hyperventilate

Gasping for gulps of stagnant air, 

Sweat clings to my flesh

Like a second skin

Within a broken mind, 

The shrill cries of cicadas echo

Against crumbling ivory bone

The cicadas keep crooning,

Even in the desolate spaces

Where only silence exists

Can you hear them? 

© 10 March 2020, by Haley Scully 

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This particular poem was inspired by the anime Higurashi: When They Cry, which is a fantastic horror series. It has a cutesy art style that perfectly contrasts all the horror, and it makes for a very interesting combination. Higurashi also happens to be one of my favorite horror anime. The series has two seasons of 20 or so episodes each, so it would be great to binge right now. In unrelated news, this is one of the longest poems I’ve ever written. 😄