Results Poetry Duel 14

Poetry Duel 14 featured returning guest poet Cheyenne Bramwell and her poem "Never Turn Around" on the left up against Sylvia Plath and her poem "Mad Girl's Love Song" on the right. 
The result...the most votes for a Duel yet AND...by a margin of one vote, Cheyenne wins!
Both poems were very well received both getting an average rating of better than 4.5, being the fourth and fifth highest rated poems in all of the Duels!
Cheyenne Bramwell is an adrenaline junky, poet, and author who runs a daily poetry blog, and is in the process of a handful of fiction projects, including one that's been going for over a decade! She's new to sharing her work with the world, so if you'd like to let her know what you think of this poem, tweet her at @PoemsbyCheyenne!
You can find her poetry blog at poemafterpoem.weebly.com, or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/poemsbyCheyenne. You can also support her on at patreon.com/poetrybyCheyenne and get a personalized poem!

Never Turn Around

When the darkness has eyes that glow and claws that catch,
 and feet that slide unseen through the night,
When their howls and moans raise the hair on your arms and neck-
that is when you run.

Have swift steps towards the light,
and don't let them smell the fear that is gnawing at your insides,
or hear the scream of mindless terror that is tearing at your throat.
They are deadly enough without any encouragement.
But if they know of your doubts and your nightmares,
then you will never be safe.
Once they have tasted that small part of you, they will use it.
It will fuel them and turn every single monster, to a never-ending hoard.
No matter where you go, they will find you.
Everywhere you look, you will find their eyes and deep-throated whispers.

Once you've met their eyes,
they will never leave you.
So whatever you do-
even if their footsteps are charging towards you-
even if their fetid breath is searing the back of your neck-
if you can almost feel the grasp of their rotten hands on your skin-
don't turn around.
And never look into their eyes.

++++++++++

Mad Girl's Love Song

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead;
I lift my lids and all is born again.

(I think I made you up inside my head.)
The stars go waltzing out in blue and red,
And arbitrary blackness gallops in:

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I dreamed that you bewitched me into bed
And sung me moon-struck, kissed me quite insane.

(I think I made you up inside my head.)
God topples from the sky, hell’s fires fade:
Exit seraphim and Satan’s men:

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.
I fancied you’d return the way you said,
But I grow old and I forget your name.

(I think I made you up inside my head.)
I should have loved a thunderbird instead;
At least when spring comes they roar back again.

I shut my eyes and all the world drops dead.

(I think I made you up inside my head.)