The Beast of the Night (Live Poetry)
THE ANIMAL (Poetry film)
THE ANIMAL is a horror-inspired animated poem about the broken bonds of family. Written and performed by Sara Campos-Silvius and animated and directed by Jacqueline Ohm.
THE ANIMAL is an Official Selection of FAVA Fest 2024 and CONNECTIONS//COLLISIONS 2023.
THE SPECTRE (Poetry film)
THE SPECTRE is an experimental visual poem exploring the theme of ghosts, hauntings, and curses. Written, performed, and edited by Sara Campos-Silvius with super 8mm film footage by Sylvia Douglas.
THE SPECTRE is an Official Selection of Nextfest 2021 and Fear The Festival BIPOC Horror Festival 2020.
Latest publication
Sara’s gruesome & grisly horror poem transmogrification appears in the TTRPG zine Sprigs & Kindling Vol. 5 on page 30!
Scroll to the bottom of the page to download the PDF of the poem for free!
Volume 5 Cover by Jesse Ross | Editor-In-Chief: Amanda Mullins
Suppose
suppose an orange tarantula
was crawling up your leg
and you felt neither fear nor disgust, nay
rather you felt a connection with kin
and urged the furry friend to continue up your limb
with a “Hello!” and “Well met!” and “Isn’t it a fine day?”
the fuzzy arthropod would make its way, calm
to your outstretched and welcoming palm
and you’d whisper to the golden arachnid
“You’re most welcome here!” and upon your shoulder you’d set it
a many-eyed sentry, a fancy epaulet
to match the scorpion upon your belt
the viper coiled at your hilt
your boots infested with poisonous ants
your brow adorned with carnivorous plants
suppose you smiled and breathed the fresh air
and simply enjoyed the blood in your hair
The Giant
There is a giant 10 feet tall
Hair like a briar patch
Teeth the size of mayonnaise jars
Toenails so overgrown they gouge lines in the sidewalk
She searches for a nail clipper
Big enough to clip her toenails
They’re so long that she trips everywhere she goes—
And you don’t want a tripping giant!
So the people of the village send a gardener with hedge clippers—
But the hedge clippers will not do!
The people of the village send a soldier with a sword—
But the sword will not do!
Finally the people of the village tell the giant to dangle her toes in the river —just so—
And the Great Fish will swim up and chomp her nails, mistaking them for something tasty
And now the giant has no feet
And she is very angry.
The Beast of The Night
Once a month ‘neath the milky moon, full
A creature is summoned to answer blood’s pull
Snarling snout, silhouette lupine
Rippling and liquid, inhuman design
Thick hairy hide in black-glistening night
Merging with shadows like lovers meld light
Clamorous hunger and hill-hewing claw
When moon glows in glory–beware, beware all!
Fangs murderously tipp’d behind drool-dripping lips
Dare not a cut, not even a nip
Night orb ignites the cursed call within
Air-cleaving howl signals hunt to begin
Werewolf pursues you in pulse-pounding haste
Flee its fell fate, or next you lead the chase!
transmogrification
Shipmates search for The Creature. Frantic. Panicked.
Me. Calm. Quiet. slip into secluded area.
Lantern sways on hook. sickly dim light flame weary. Reach pocket. Rat, small, still. Looks dead.
But know better.
Know what lies within.
Stroke one. Kill rat. Stroke two. Slice throattobelly
Inside –
Worm. Exposed. Undulates. Violent.
Me. Alive. New host
Worm latches hand bare flesh burrows skin
No screaming.
Instead, begin reciting.
Words of Beast ritual.
Soon, I will be not fully It. I will be not fully Self.
I will be something utterly, gloriously new
– wriggling protrusion under skin – forearm, bicep, collarbone, neck, soon brain –
Words of ritual spill forth, steady, sun-wounded salt-chapped lips
final word spoken protrusion disappears –
Wait.
Now is the time for screaming
agony
spine extends new vertebrae populate
skin stretching torture – sudden elastic benevolence
column extrudes four new arachnid legs, twitching prescient
acid blood in veins searing completeness
human eyelids. Blink.
new membranes. Blink blink.
teeth, once smooth weak square small plaque-covered loose decaying
now steady jagged elongated power . lips curl
sniff air
yes, new, and delight in newfound
but something familiar, only now amplified. Stronger
uncontrollable undeniable
hunger
wonder where shipmates went…
Sara Campos-Silvius 