Once upon a stormy dark November
a lady dressed in white came home distressed
to find her lover, dead, dismembered.
His heart she found removed from broken chest,
and on the stove his flesh and bones were stewing.
The lady tied an apron round her waist
to clean the scarlet mess he’d made when dying,
and spiced the stew with thyme for better taste.
Cook in front of the Stove by Pieter Aertsen
Today we will have some fun at dVerse with Lillian. Start your poem with “Once upon” followed by anything but the normal word time.
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October 30, 2018
Björn Rudbergs writings 
Hah! You had me laughing out loud at the third line! Ghoulish ONCE UPON As here! 🙂
Hmm…I don’t think this was suicide! It did make me giggle though – dark, dark, dark.
Nice sound and ominous sense in that last line.
dark, but funny, like that last line and the rhyme with “waist”
That’s just creepy! Good job with the prompt.
The butler did it.
Well it will be dinner for two 🙂
A ha! The plot thickens 🙂
Nope it’s just the savory gravy.
It used to be called Bisto. Bet you never had that. We didn’t either, but it was a cult advert.
Too much good creepy fun here, brother. The Lady in White is a well known horror tale; your poem works for Halloween too; smile.
This was a good poem for near Halloween. Creepy yet, because of the rhyme, oddly whimsical.
hmmm…me thinks that mess would have irked me more than the rest of the fuss. macabre tale extraordinaire you weave so well, the hunour takes the edge of a little
Oh yikes! Crazy Halloween tale.
too too dark…and what a picture.
Oh my…what are you drinking tonight?
Hahaha! Never pass up a free meal.
Ha – Now, that is creepy Halloween happening…I think I’ll pass on the stew.
I see you are having some Halloween fun 😉
Yikes! Good one, Bjorn. Love the image you put with it too. 🙂
Wow, this is really good.
this is an absolute riot! I loved it. But then I don’t mind dark, macabre humour, even if it’s not all hallow’s eve … and I have to say, the rhyming and pace set such a delicious (but not for the stew) tone … great job! And um, is it me, or is it me? But the cook/chef – in the painting looks a bit “thick” about the arms and face … makes me almost envision some scamp/comedic bumbling highwayman trying to cleverly disguise himself by having donned women’s clothes. LOL – but the painting is wonderfully rich for the details – so I still like it 🙂
Wow! sound rather gruesome. Has hints of Sweeny Todd.
A dark ‘once upon a time…’ for Halloween, Bjorn! The sibilant title sounds like a stew spitting on the stove. The rhyme really adds to this and I love the final line!
Ha. Halloweeny indeed – Love your choice of painting – that’s one muscly cook alright.
Gag…ghastly stew!
Great visual for your words. Love it.
Oh how macabre! So appropriate for Halloween!
kaykuala
It gets into an untoward preparation but instead spiced up with lots of big humor! Great!
Hank
Delightfully gory!
Well, that’s a bit macabre. LOL Loved it!
poetic Halloween! Scary and fun at the same time.
Creepy, with wit. Reminds me of Hitchcock.
Nah, I’m too stuffed to eat another bite, thanks!
*runs away*