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Gathered Here Today: An Open Casket of Art and Poetry
In shadows deep where whispers dwell,
a poetry anthology casts its spell.
Ghostly verses, haunting art,
a macabre journey to grip the heart.
Come and see what fears convey—in this collection, Gathered Here Today.
a poetry anthology casts its spell.
Ghostly verses, haunting art,
a macabre journey to grip the heart.
Come and see what fears convey—in this collection, Gathered Here Today.
290 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2025
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
September 13, 2025
Gathered Here Today
from Graveside Press is truly an incredible book!
The poetry is dark and haunting, but at times light-hearted (even amidst the blood and bones).
The art is just as amazing as the writing—so there's something for everyone to stare at and digest!
I find the last line from the last poem in this book (WHAT WAITS BEHIND THE TINY BLACK DOOR – Joshua Dobson) to be very fitting: “Then it opened.”
This truly is an open casket of art and poetry to be devoured!
🖋️🖌️🖋️🖌️🖋️🖌️🖋️🖌️
Below is a list (in the order of the TOC) of all the poetry and art that captured my eye, each piece also has a little accompanying review (because I couldn't help myself!)
🖋️ POEMS 🖋️
• THERE'S A COFFIN IN MY PARLOR! – Daniel Gene Barlekamp
Humorous and dark, and the way it cuts off is so creative!
• A REMINDER: – Robin Rose Gavres
So amazing!
• VESSEL – Greg Schwartz
Obsessed with the implication of an unending cycle. Very eerie!
• I'M SORRY, MY DEAR – Rich McFarlin
Grinning by the end of this. Slay! (Literally.)
• THE ZOMBIE CAME BACK – Gregg Chamberlain
Just love the light tone despite the fact that what happens is actually horrific. Very well done! (Rhyme is on point too!!!)
• THE SONG OF THE CORPSE – Kenneth D. Reimer
I love the gory and vivid descriptions, as well as the rhyme!
• WHEN WE WERE VAMPIRES – Stephanie Valente
Need this poem injected into my veins, actually.
• A COLD, WINDSWEPT PLACE – Kurt Newton
Haunting, chilling, so good!
• LAUGHTER AFTER DARK – J.E. Norwood
To me, this read both as a haunting, and being haunted. Multifaceted!!!
• THE PRYING EYE – Jayde Fontana
So much dread, so obsessed with it!
• THE GORGON AT THE END OF THE WORLD – Azure Arther
The endinggg!!! 😭
• WOLVES – Julie LaFond
This twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood actually made me sick to my stomach (I say this as a compliment. My heart dropped.)
• I THINK I SAW YOU – Sam Muller
Breathtaking.
• BEFORE HE STAYS – Jacqueline K Goldblatt
Truly haunting beyond words!!!
• THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER – Gregory M. Thompson
The rhyme is impeccable!
• I AM A HUMAN NESTING DOLL – Ian Bain
Guttural, visceral—literal and figurative. L O V E!
• PLEASE GIVE ME SCISSORS – Krys S Achrem
Undoubtedly one of the best poems I've ever read on grief, suicidal ideation, and not understanding how others are so hush-hush about death. (This is my interpretation of it, at least!)
• DRIP – Anna McCluskey
The second-person narration of this really drove the horror home. I love it!
• CABIN FEVER – Delana Luna
Obsessed with this eerie piece and it's accompanying art!
• & THEY WOULD DIE – Linda M. Crate
Good for her! Love!
• A WINTER OF THE SOUL – John Grey
Deeply in love with this piece, but especially these lines: “It's a time for believing in nothing,
for feeling God's abandonment”
• LITERAL – Hailey Samford
Kept thinking of Thing (any Addams Family adaptation tbh) while reading this, and I KNOW this piece lays emphasis on being literal, but I also like the figurative metaphors that can come forward from the image of having a hand inside your chest 👀
• SHUCK – Odin Meadows
More of that visceralness that I love!
• IS SOMETHING WRONG – Em Arata–Berkel
If I was a poetry-award-giver, this would be the at the top of my list.
• SEE HERE – Corinne Pollard
Ending made me go 😲!!!
• THE NEW CHILDREN – Tehnuka
Shocking, and heartwarming in a twisted way!
• THE EMPTY ROOM – Steve Denehan
Another jaw-dropping ending!!! (The accompanying art is lovely!)
• THE TRAVELER – Stephen A. Roddewig
Masterful poetic storytelling!
• THE HUNGER OF HORACE LEACH – Lance McVay
The poetic justice and dark humor in this is everything!
• THE VISITOR – Darrell Z. Grizzle
Forbidden romance at it's best!
🖌️ ART 🖌️
• The Winter of Our Discontent – Claudia Tong
Very striking, I love how the building is more shrouded than the foreground. So ominous!
• Parasite – Alex Fine
You just need to see this for yourself. (Extra note: Holy Shit. I love it.)
• Devious Dining – Natalia Díaz Jiménez
I want to bite into this piece (respectfully).
• Date Night – Camellia Paul
Adorable! I love how the bats are drawn, and how there's a little bite taken out of the moon!
• Playing Fetch with the Demon Boar – Christopher Collingwood
I love how blackness surrounds it, and the dribble from it's mouth!?! Wow!!!
• Bones Beneath – Miranda Allen
Highkey need this piece tattooed.
• The Abyss – Caterina Minezzi
The eyes among that darkness is done so creatively. LOVE!
• Silence – Red Wallflower
I love how the figure (ghost?) clearly stands out, but somehow simultaneously blends in!
• Guard Your Heart – Nick Dunkenstein
Just obsessed with how this is drawn!!
• Apocalyptic Sun – Dan Verkys
This piece is literally like staring into an apocalyptic sun—in the best way possible.
• Come Open the Door – Tytti Heikkinen
The way the figure looks like a solid marble statue by the head, but the lower you go, the more ghostly it becomes—is something I love!
• The Woods – Ron Perovich
The way the trees shape a skull? Yes, please, and thank you!
The poetry is dark and haunting, but at times light-hearted (even amidst the blood and bones).
The art is just as amazing as the writing—so there's something for everyone to stare at and digest!
I find the last line from the last poem in this book (WHAT WAITS BEHIND THE TINY BLACK DOOR – Joshua Dobson) to be very fitting: “Then it opened.”
This truly is an open casket of art and poetry to be devoured!
🖋️🖌️🖋️🖌️🖋️🖌️🖋️🖌️
Below is a list (in the order of the TOC) of all the poetry and art that captured my eye, each piece also has a little accompanying review (because I couldn't help myself!)
🖋️ POEMS 🖋️
• THERE'S A COFFIN IN MY PARLOR! – Daniel Gene Barlekamp
Humorous and dark, and the way it cuts off is so creative!
• A REMINDER: – Robin Rose Gavres
So amazing!
• VESSEL – Greg Schwartz
Obsessed with the implication of an unending cycle. Very eerie!
• I'M SORRY, MY DEAR – Rich McFarlin
Grinning by the end of this. Slay! (Literally.)
• THE ZOMBIE CAME BACK – Gregg Chamberlain
Just love the light tone despite the fact that what happens is actually horrific. Very well done! (Rhyme is on point too!!!)
• THE SONG OF THE CORPSE – Kenneth D. Reimer
I love the gory and vivid descriptions, as well as the rhyme!
• WHEN WE WERE VAMPIRES – Stephanie Valente
Need this poem injected into my veins, actually.
• A COLD, WINDSWEPT PLACE – Kurt Newton
Haunting, chilling, so good!
• LAUGHTER AFTER DARK – J.E. Norwood
To me, this read both as a haunting, and being haunted. Multifaceted!!!
• THE PRYING EYE – Jayde Fontana
So much dread, so obsessed with it!
• THE GORGON AT THE END OF THE WORLD – Azure Arther
The endinggg!!! 😭
• WOLVES – Julie LaFond
This twist on the classic Little Red Riding Hood actually made me sick to my stomach (I say this as a compliment. My heart dropped.)
• I THINK I SAW YOU – Sam Muller
Breathtaking.
• BEFORE HE STAYS – Jacqueline K Goldblatt
Truly haunting beyond words!!!
• THE LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER – Gregory M. Thompson
The rhyme is impeccable!
• I AM A HUMAN NESTING DOLL – Ian Bain
Guttural, visceral—literal and figurative. L O V E!
• PLEASE GIVE ME SCISSORS – Krys S Achrem
Undoubtedly one of the best poems I've ever read on grief, suicidal ideation, and not understanding how others are so hush-hush about death. (This is my interpretation of it, at least!)
• DRIP – Anna McCluskey
The second-person narration of this really drove the horror home. I love it!
• CABIN FEVER – Delana Luna
Obsessed with this eerie piece and it's accompanying art!
• & THEY WOULD DIE – Linda M. Crate
Good for her! Love!
• A WINTER OF THE SOUL – John Grey
Deeply in love with this piece, but especially these lines: “It's a time for believing in nothing,
for feeling God's abandonment”
• LITERAL – Hailey Samford
Kept thinking of Thing (any Addams Family adaptation tbh) while reading this, and I KNOW this piece lays emphasis on being literal, but I also like the figurative metaphors that can come forward from the image of having a hand inside your chest 👀
• SHUCK – Odin Meadows
More of that visceralness that I love!
• IS SOMETHING WRONG – Em Arata–Berkel
If I was a poetry-award-giver, this would be the at the top of my list.
• SEE HERE – Corinne Pollard
Ending made me go 😲!!!
• THE NEW CHILDREN – Tehnuka
Shocking, and heartwarming in a twisted way!
• THE EMPTY ROOM – Steve Denehan
Another jaw-dropping ending!!! (The accompanying art is lovely!)
• THE TRAVELER – Stephen A. Roddewig
Masterful poetic storytelling!
• THE HUNGER OF HORACE LEACH – Lance McVay
The poetic justice and dark humor in this is everything!
• THE VISITOR – Darrell Z. Grizzle
Forbidden romance at it's best!
🖌️ ART 🖌️
• The Winter of Our Discontent – Claudia Tong
Very striking, I love how the building is more shrouded than the foreground. So ominous!
• Parasite – Alex Fine
You just need to see this for yourself. (Extra note: Holy Shit. I love it.)
• Devious Dining – Natalia Díaz Jiménez
I want to bite into this piece (respectfully).
• Date Night – Camellia Paul
Adorable! I love how the bats are drawn, and how there's a little bite taken out of the moon!
• Playing Fetch with the Demon Boar – Christopher Collingwood
I love how blackness surrounds it, and the dribble from it's mouth!?! Wow!!!
• Bones Beneath – Miranda Allen
Highkey need this piece tattooed.
• The Abyss – Caterina Minezzi
The eyes among that darkness is done so creatively. LOVE!
• Silence – Red Wallflower
I love how the figure (ghost?) clearly stands out, but somehow simultaneously blends in!
• Guard Your Heart – Nick Dunkenstein
Just obsessed with how this is drawn!!
• Apocalyptic Sun – Dan Verkys
This piece is literally like staring into an apocalyptic sun—in the best way possible.
• Come Open the Door – Tytti Heikkinen
The way the figure looks like a solid marble statue by the head, but the lower you go, the more ghostly it becomes—is something I love!
• The Woods – Ron Perovich
The way the trees shape a skull? Yes, please, and thank you!
July 21, 2025
Gathered Here Today is an anthology featuring horrific poetry and illustrations which you would be proud to hang on your wall...if you're a horror fan that is!
Horror poetry does something in the reader's mind. It allows us to fill in the details as the prose strips a tale of terror down to the juiciest bits. Short but with a bite. And there isn't a beloved trope left undiscovered in this book.
Vampires, Halloween, cats, ghosts, werewolves, zombies, monsters, murder and mayhem. Even some which deftly mix things up in the most frightening way possible. This anthology brings the cream of poetic terrors and the undeniably talented authors who create them.
The various poetic stylings keeps each verse fresh and these never get stale. From traditional prose to haikus and even a limerick, all the way to poems which read like a stream of consciousness, they're all gathered in this creepy tome. And they're effective.
Even though the length 290 pages) might bely it, this is an anthology which doesn't feel that long. Probably because these poems are short, crisp, scary, and to the point. They fly by and grab your attention.
And the art is stunning and horrifically beautiful. Yes, I'd hang those on my walls, though I might not get much sleep looking at them before bed!
This is an anthology of nightmares waiting to happen written in a beautiful manner. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
Horror poetry does something in the reader's mind. It allows us to fill in the details as the prose strips a tale of terror down to the juiciest bits. Short but with a bite. And there isn't a beloved trope left undiscovered in this book.
Vampires, Halloween, cats, ghosts, werewolves, zombies, monsters, murder and mayhem. Even some which deftly mix things up in the most frightening way possible. This anthology brings the cream of poetic terrors and the undeniably talented authors who create them.
The various poetic stylings keeps each verse fresh and these never get stale. From traditional prose to haikus and even a limerick, all the way to poems which read like a stream of consciousness, they're all gathered in this creepy tome. And they're effective.
Even though the length 290 pages) might bely it, this is an anthology which doesn't feel that long. Probably because these poems are short, crisp, scary, and to the point. They fly by and grab your attention.
And the art is stunning and horrifically beautiful. Yes, I'd hang those on my walls, though I might not get much sleep looking at them before bed!
This is an anthology of nightmares waiting to happen written in a beautiful manner. I highly recommend it. I received an ARC of this book from the publisher. This review is voluntary and is my own personal opinion.
October 18, 2025
I was compelled to read this anthology even though I'm not a fan of poetry. However, I was wildly surprised at how many I enjoyed in this collection.
I lean towards narrative based poems and was not disappointed to find many ranging in style, form, genre and tone.
Certain poems were seated in comedy but worked well given the overall dark themes and tones of the book. There were many notable poems I'd wished I made a marker for so I could list them here, but not all poems grabbed me. Not surprising given the sheer volume of them that's packed into the book for great value.
The cover art is cool as is the art inside from contributors which breaks up the poetry nicely, and sometimes even links directly.
I'd recommend this to any fan of dark toned media, poetry fans or not.
well done Graveside Press!
I lean towards narrative based poems and was not disappointed to find many ranging in style, form, genre and tone.
Certain poems were seated in comedy but worked well given the overall dark themes and tones of the book. There were many notable poems I'd wished I made a marker for so I could list them here, but not all poems grabbed me. Not surprising given the sheer volume of them that's packed into the book for great value.
The cover art is cool as is the art inside from contributors which breaks up the poetry nicely, and sometimes even links directly.
I'd recommend this to any fan of dark toned media, poetry fans or not.
well done Graveside Press!
May 3, 2026
This is a lovely looking book of poetry and art, the sort of book the one shows to fellow bibliophiles when they visit. The editors and Graveside Press should be proud to have put out this volume.
The art is probably better than the poetry, but there are some lovely verses here. The most enjoyable is Katherine Kerestman’s “Bobby’s Adventure”, which is tremendous fun. For the most part I found the light-hearted poems more enjoyable than the serious pieces, but there is something here for all tastes.
The art is probably better than the poetry, but there are some lovely verses here. The most enjoyable is Katherine Kerestman’s “Bobby’s Adventure”, which is tremendous fun. For the most part I found the light-hearted poems more enjoyable than the serious pieces, but there is something here for all tastes.
December 29, 2025
I'm not usually a huge poetry fan, but if you throw in a spooky theme, I'm game. This one delivered! The most notable entries in this collection are listed below.
1. "There's a Coffin in my Parlor" by Daniel Gene Barlekamp; I like the surprise ending
2. "The Zombie Came Back" by Gregg Chamberlain; I like parodies of other works
3. "The Feeder" by Todd Matson; the formatting makes it look like a hummingbird feeder.
4. "The Crow" by Terry Campbell; a play on Edgar Allan Poe's work
5. "Meet the Monsters" by Edward Lodi; limericks about classic monsters!!!
6. "My Dungeon Ghost" by LindaAnn LoSchiavo; lots of references to classic "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."
There are also art pieces throughout the collection. One left me rather disturbed, but I'll refrain from mentioning that here. Especially awesome was "Slow Burn" by LindaAnn LoSchiavo because it's a throwback to the blackout poetry that was so popular on social media during the past year.
1. "There's a Coffin in my Parlor" by Daniel Gene Barlekamp; I like the surprise ending
2. "The Zombie Came Back" by Gregg Chamberlain; I like parodies of other works
3. "The Feeder" by Todd Matson; the formatting makes it look like a hummingbird feeder.
4. "The Crow" by Terry Campbell; a play on Edgar Allan Poe's work
5. "Meet the Monsters" by Edward Lodi; limericks about classic monsters!!!
6. "My Dungeon Ghost" by LindaAnn LoSchiavo; lots of references to classic "Sir Gawain and the Green Knight."
There are also art pieces throughout the collection. One left me rather disturbed, but I'll refrain from mentioning that here. Especially awesome was "Slow Burn" by LindaAnn LoSchiavo because it's a throwback to the blackout poetry that was so popular on social media during the past year.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews