Spinal Trap

By Elizabeth Barrette

When the hairs
on the back of my neck
stood up
and ran squealing into the night,
I knew I was in trouble.

When my skin crawled
under the bed,
I tried to put down the book,
but by then it was too late.

When the shivers
ran down my spine,
peeling the muscles away
with their sharp little teeth
I fell to the floor.

The book
lay in a spreading pool
of my blood, lapping,
and with fading thought
I realized I should have known
from the title on its spine –
Carnal Appetites.

About the Author

Elizabeth Barrette writes poetry, fiction, and nonfiction in the fields of speculative fiction, gender studies, and alternative spirituality. Previous credits include the poems “A Door into Summer” in Abandoned Towers and “Dancing with Stones” in Strange Horizons; the articles “Appreciating Speculative Poetry” in Internet Review of Science Fiction and “Cyberfunded Creativity” in EMG-zine; the short story “Peacock Hour” in Triangulations: Taking Flight; and the book Composing Magic: How to Write Rituals, Spells, and Magical Poetry. Her poem “Artifacts of Intelligent Design” won 2nd Place in the 2008 SFPA Poetry Contest. She hosts a monthly Poetry Fishbowl on her blog, The Wordsmith’s Forge, writing poems based on prompts from her audience. At science fiction conventions and other events, she presents panels on various topics. She enjoys suspension-of-disbelief bungee-jumping and spelunking in other people’s reality tunnels. Visit her blog at: http://ysabetwordsmith.livejournal.com

Illustration by Jennie Breeden

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