Issue #11
“Idle Hands: The Poetry Issue”
When we read a horror novel, we commit to a gradual build…a prose that incites fear and tension over time. But with poetry, we open ourselves to an instant unsettling. It speaks through the unsaid. The imagery and rhythm that poetry creates make it the perfect vessel for horror stories.
The creative nature of poetry acts as a window to the uncanny. Have you ever heard of two-sentence horror stories? When we are given so little, it is easy for our minds to fill in the gaps with our own unconscious fears.
“The doctors told the amputee he might experience a phantom limb from time to time. Nobody prepared him for the moments though, when he felt cold fingers brush across his phantom hand.”
Anonymous Deleted User (Reddit)
“The heart attack came and went, knocking Mike into unconsciousness, and as he awoke he could hear the graveside service around him. Somehow the casket was translucent to him and he recognized some of his friends, but his body would not move and he realized with terror what death really was.”
Anonymous Deleted User (Reddit)
It’s what remains unspoken that allows the reader’s imagination to shape a story, individualized by their unique experiences, traumas, creativity, and fears. It’s truly magic. Words pulse on the page in sync with our hearts, quickening and slowing at the poet’s will. Because of this, horror and poetry beat as one. It’s a shame we don’t see more of it within the genre, which is why I’m thrilled to share our 11th issue of Night Terror Magazine, IDLE HANDS: THE POETRY ISSUE. Idle Hands will now be a standing sub-volume within our standard monthly issues. Like the quote says…”Idle hands are the devil’s workshop.” Here we will showcase the many talents that embody horror, not just through film and literature.
Join us in celebrating Abbey, Rodney, Kaci, and Stephanie as they bring us into the dark recesses of their minds where they create beautiful imagery through the lens of the macabre. These talented writers explore dark themes of grief, paranoia, madness, and the unrelenting anxiety of fear. This issue also features a poetic debut by yours truly, alongside haunting illustrations by our very own Kelsee to accompany these poetic works. May these eerie words, or the absence of them, keep you WAKING IN THE NIGHT!
To all the bleeding hearts out there,
Elli
Click the cover above to
check out the issue!
Guest Column with Abbey
AND
haunting poetry from
Rodney, Kaci, and Stephanie!
Abbey Chou
Abbey is an information enthusiast currently pursuing a Masters of Library and Information Science. Their passions include surreal horror media and the local library. They work full time in commercial photography production. Their poetry, photography, and other writing has been published in The Oakland Review, The Daily Fandom, Montana Mouthful, and Humankind Zine. They reside in Connecticut with their two fluffy dogs and partner.
Poet and Guest Columnist
Rodney Wilder
Rodney Wilder (he/him) is a biracially-Black nerd with work appearing in places like Half Mystic, Driftwood Press, Anti-Heroin Chic, Wrongdoing Magazine, and FreezeRay Poetry, as well as Stiltzkin’s Quill, his most recent attempt at grimoiring all the geeky incense left lit in his ribcage. When not forest-bathing beneath the nearest cluster of Oregonian oldgrowth, he likes haikuing horror movies and getting annihilated by his wife at Tetris. Find him on Instagram at @thebardofhousewilder.
Poet
Kaci O’Meara
Kaci O'Meara is a Glasgow-born gothic poet, writer, and photographer. She focuses on poetry that explores the themes of deep emotions, horror and gore, and the occasional consumption metaphor. Recently, she has branched out into writing short fiction and historical articles. Kaci runs an online newsletter called The Ghoulish Gazette (on Substack) where you can read more of her work!
Poet
Stephanie Valente
Stephanie Valente is a copywriter. She is the author of Internet Girlfriend (Clash Books, 2022), Hotel Ghost, waiting for the end of the world, and Little Fang (Bottlecap Press 2015-2019). Her work has appeared in Hobart, Maudlin House, among others. She lives in New York.