My fictional poem below is inspired by a true story where a woman was found in her home after being dead for six years. HOW? They said nobody noticed due to automatic bill pay. WHAT? Saddens me greatly. I am sorry… you were unnoticed.
She never left her home
Neighbors mowed her yard
I thought maybe she was elderly
The mail never came
Never a car or a visitor stopped
I thought she had to be lonely
Days turned into weeks
Weeks into passing months
And 6 years have gone by
Not a delivery boy with food
Not an ambulance or a cop
I asked the neighbors about her
“We saw her a few times,
But it has been awhile”
Doesn’t anyone else wonder?
“She likes to keep to herself
Asked us to mind our own business”
Hmmm my neighbors
Such a strange response
I used to try to stay up
To catch her sneaking out after dark
Maybe she was a witch
Or maybe a phantom of the night
Maybe she was shy
Or maybe had a fear of the light
I just had to know
What has happened to poor Ms. Claire?
So I knocked on her doors
On her windows too
And then I checked the cellar door
Chains kept it locked but something….
Was holding it slightly ajar
I got down on my knees
I grabbed a stick and poked and…
The grasping bones of a long dead hand
Trying to escape from a prison
Someone created for poor Ms. Claire
Unnoticed and forgotten
Years ago
HASTYWORDS 
I saw this documentary a few years back and I found it so chilling. It wasn’t like the woman didn’t have friends either, every one just some how forgot to think about her. Lovely poem darling ❤
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Honestly a great piece, I’ve been whittering on for months about wanting to see more prominent issues in modern poetry, as it was originally used to carry news from town to town, rhyme being an easy method to remember strings of words. And so much poetry is either politically militant or romantically soulful. Both have their places but there is more to poetry than this.
Thanks for having the balls to tackle a delicate subject with a professional yet personal approach. Great piece, keep them coming.
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Sad that anyone should die alone like that
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Six years??!? How terrifying and sad. 😦
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Chilling… Thank you this will stay with me for quite a while.
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That was unbelievably sad…
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Reblogged this on thisoldtoad and commented:
A saden life to be true!
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Wow! what a story.
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I infidelity like the flow even though the context is a bit eyrie. Sad that someone can go un-missed for six years.
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Oh this is so sad!!
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I know! This story has stuck with me. How tragic to not be mourned.
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Great story, love how your poem was drawn out of the mystery of it, a series of questions to be asked with the darkest of answers to come.
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Unfortunately this situation is not unique as it has happened before and will again – since the vast majority of people in this country are too self absorbed, busy with their own lives and uncaring to notice whenever someone who lives alone drops out of sight and doesn’t reappear.
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