The Grey Skull A free-verse poem and audio

October 26, 2026

The Grey Skull: free-verse poem and audio

The Grey Skull

When the butterflies came
like moths to a flame,
the grey skull said,
“I once was
a head.”

The sombre table
clothed in black
set a sinister scene
and
the mirror cracked.

Halloween
shadows loomed again,
a cold draught
blew

through
the haunted hall—
and the Samhain
candlelight
stuttered
on the wall.

Scents of roses
waft
upon the silent air
where
butterfly wings
are fluttering.

Then
I hear
a ghastly sound,
a strangled shout,
a muttering.

Too scared to look,
afeared to see,
what hides
beneath the table…

Oh dear,
it’s me.

_{—Lesley Scoble, October 2026}

Audio — The Grey Skull 🎶 💀

I hope and trust you will perform a spooky tango while you listen to this.

The Grey Skull | Words and Sound Design©️Lesley Scoble

The Grey Skull | Digital ink and wash©️Lesley Scoble

WDYS Photo Prompt

I wrote my poem The Grey Skull, in response to Sadje’s Whatdoyousee #364.

Thanks
My thanks to Sadje, for the spooky inspiration.
And my thanks to you, the reader, for spending this time with me.

Images and audio
The Prompt’s Photo by Paula Morin
Feature image: The Grey Skull | Digital ink and wash©️Lesley Scoble
Audio: The Grey Skull | Words and Sound Design©️Lesley Scoble. Performed by A Bot Actor.