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This Poem was Submitted By: Erzahl Leo M. Espino On Date: 2004-12-16 08:56:03 . . . Click Here To Mail this Poem to a Friend!

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Nightmare At My Street

I used to be scared of Freddy Kruger He’s Elm Street’s teenage serial killer With his deadly claw of bladed fingers He strikes and kills them during their slumber Twelve years ago he visited our place He cut the breath of our sleeping neighbor I’ve heard this before but not face to face Like seeing Carl lifeless at twenty-four Then I remembered my dad’s old story ‘Bout his brother Ramon with the same fate Grandma tried waking the young attorney But uncle who’s thirty – it was too late Also recently, a few years ago At well-known beach resort with group of friends Twenty-seven, rising actor Rico Found his end in the comfort of his bed For me, I think it is such a sweet death Quick, painless, peaceful - not by accident Not by sickness, old age or by bullet Not even a scratch and beautiful yet Will Freddy come and visit me tonight? Still thirty, just had my heavy dinner No roommate to wake me from my dream fight No weapon, no armor…just my boxer

Additional Notes:
Filipinos call it “bangungot” or the nightmare syndrome. Victims are heard moaning just before they die, which is usually in the middle of the night, doctors say. It generally strikes healthy young men and the youngest known victim was only 17. What happened during sleep was a mystery because the bangungot victims never woke up. In their last moments, the victims were usually heard moaning or groaning in their sleep, as if suffering from "some form of agony". "We had no way of knowing what happened because they did not survive." Stranger still, bangungot usually claims its victims at about 3 a.m., doctors said. Studies show bangungot cases occurred mainly in Southeast Asian countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Singapore and Laos, but a similar illness had been reported among Japanese men. "Even if you move to different places, like the refugees going to the United States, the men can still suffer from it," Fadreguilan said. "Whether they move outside of their home country does not decrease the risk of them suffering from it." and it’s striking that in all of them, most of the nightmare victims are male. Filipinos attribute bangungot to going to bed right after a very full meal. As early as the 1950s, the US Navy’s medical teams were already looking into bangungot because of cases involving Filipino sailors. The US Navy reports suggested the deaths were due to pancreatitis resulting from the Filipino salty diets. But all of these still have no medical proofs. “Nightmare At Elm Street” – this is a horror flick film from the late 80s, starring the character Freddy Kruger who kills teens in their sleep. My brothers and I have experienced this every now and then, and somehow we have overcome it. Yes, a bit scary but I’m glad that we already have Jesus in our hearts. Whatever happens, we know that God holds our time...and He’ll be the one waiting on the other side. :) Some interesting sites: http://www.ricoyan.8m.com/index.html - Rico Yan, this is the promising actor who recently died. http://www.rense.com/general21/nightmaresyndrome.htm http://www.pinoykasi.homestead.com/files/2000articles/08292000_Bangungot.htm http://www.pinoykasi.homestead.com/files/2002articles/04012002_Revisiting_bangungot.htm http://www.pinoykasi.homestead.com/files/2002articles/04182002_Banungot_sequel.htm http://www.newsflash.org/2002/03/sb/sb002108.htm http://www.wired.com/news/medtech/0%2C1286%2C51473%2C00.html If you have any light regarding this mystery, drop me a line. Will really appreciate it.

This Poem was Critiqued By: Mell W. Morris On Date: 2005-01-07 16:09:17
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Erzahl: I saw this for the first time today and wish I could offer data on your topic bangungot but I've never seen it written or heard it spoken. I am familiar with Nightmare on Elm Street, the caricature of a character like Freddy. Many cultures have their dream/ghost-like characters...I've seen this here in foreign films and the Japanese and Chinese have fashioned dramas of this sort which I have seen on TV. I got so much realistic cultural notions, fears, monsters from reading Amy Tan about her Chinese forebears. Your poem takes a figure from your lore, the Bangungot, and you tell a superb tale in wicked metered and rhymed format. I call this form narrative poetry which I see less and less when we need more and more. I do not understand this affinity on TPL for sonnets. I thought they went out of date with the 1800's. I used to rag MarkS about this but he feels as strongly about the masters and the formalism as I do for post-modernism. I have to turn off my computer for we are having new installations today so I'm sorry I didn't get much written about your poem. It is splendid, IMO. I should not wait till the end of the contest to look around for new poems! I have learned a lot today and if I encounter anything new about Bangungot, I will forward it. Your ending in the poem is very funny: no weapon but your boxers! Best wishes in 2005. Mell Morris

This Poem was Critiqued By: Latorial D. Faison On Date: 2005-01-05 03:09:29
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Hey Erzahl, I've never heard of this in my life. I read your poem,and I kept wondering as i read it, what inspired you to write this one. But when I read your notes, I thought WOW! And then I wondered if someone based the movie on this. I guess we'll never know. All of this information that you have added is very interesting, and I plan to read all of the links. This is highly interesting to me. In fact, I'm going to pass it on to other friends and family. As for the poem, I was wondering how you lost a family member, and I thought, MY GOD, please tell me this kid does not believe in Fred Kruger (smile), but then I read your notes. This is so sad. I'm a black American, and even my grandparents have always said that eating before you go to bed causes you to have nightmares, and I believe that. However, now you have me really wondering if you can really die in those nightmares. So interesting. Thanks for writing and sharing the poem that sparked all of this interest. Happy New Year to you. Latorial www.latorialfaison.com

This Poem was Critiqued By: Tony P Spicuglia On Date: 2004-12-29 12:46:56
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Erzahl, I cannot say that I had any knowledge of this prior to your poem and the explanations included. It is somewhat terrifying to know there may be a genetic link that prevents the awkaneing from certain dreams of fright. I recall, as a child there were two nightmares I had regularly, and I believe in both, had I not awakened I would have perished. From this, in a sense, I share much with your verse. Fortunately for me, love has tempered my soul and beliefs, and I seldom, if ever have such dreams anymore. In your verse you take the “illness’ well, and bring it to us. From the modern day Faqua of Freddy, to your own “no weapon, on armor…” you tell a story that is frightening, and yet you also tell the unspoken story of continuing on in life, nevertheless. You eat, sleep, and pray, almost a “now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the lord my soul to keep”. An excellent view into many areas of life, and a fascinating reason for research for me. Thank you much!!

This Poem was Critiqued By: Joanne Duval Morgan On Date: 2004-12-26 20:26:50
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Wow, I just learned through you of this milady that strikes Asian decents, scary as Freddy Kruger, yes, I would image so, the belief you point out overrides the horror of many cultural taboo sibjects I image, what a legend E. it certainly made me pick up and pay attention. You capture the emotion, the fright, also the question why, as My teaching tells me there is a reason, we may never understand, but He knows the reason. Your poem is a cultural mindset, that sets my mind to wondering. However the fact you've written it, is a postive for you, this illness if you will will never circumvent the religious belief, you point that out brilliantly, Kudos on another well concieved and written entry. Glad I was able to comment, and now in retrospect I'll be aware and wonder, and remember this poem, congratulations. My best always, Happy New year, and may the Lords Blessings always be with you.......Jo Mo

This Poem was Critiqued By: arnie s WACHMAN On Date: 2004-12-16 16:34:27
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 10.00000
Well I"m certainly glad that you don't suffer from this syndrome. As a medical person I know of no other like syndrome in the Western World. Like you said, I think it's from too much red uncooked meat which has been highly spiced. Somehow I think I remember you writing about this before, amd I not right? Thanks for the information though. I've always said I will die at the age of 94 caught in bed with my killer's 24 year old blonde and beautiful wife!. Now, that's the way to go!! Thanks so much for posting this informative piece.

This Poem was Critiqued By: Rachel F. Spinoza On Date: 2004-12-16 14:39:48
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 9.75000
Wow. Fascinting and indeed frightening! I used to be [if you use "afraid instead of "scared" you will have some assonance with "of" and "teenage" of Freddy Kruger [-He’s] Elm Street’s [teenage] is the character teenage or just the victims -this is unclear from the context ] serial killer With his deadly claw of bladed fingers [who]strikes and kills [teens while they slumber] Twelve years ago he visited [here instead of "our place" to avoid uneven rhyme or make it all rhyme as you do in the next stanza but not that clearly in some of the others] He cut the breath of our sleeping neighbor [very vivid expression!] I’ve heard this before but not face to face [the specific incident?} Like seeing Carl lifeless at twenty-four Then I remembered my dad’s old story ‘Bout his brother Ramon [who shared that] fate Grandma tried waking the young attorney But[for] uncle who’s thirty [who was thirty?]– it was too late Also [as recently as] few years ago At well-known beach resort[It would be good for you to name it ] with [a] group of friends [at] Twenty-seven, rising actor Rico Found his end in the comfort of his bed [great phrasing] For me, I think it is such a sweet death Quick, painless, peaceful - not by accident Not by sickness, old age or by bullet Not even a scratch and beautiful yet Will Freddy come and visit me tonight? Still thirty, just had my heavy dinner No roommate to wake me from my dream fight No weapon, no armor…just my boxer [is that a dog? [ The ending could be more dramatic but this is a really informative and interesting poem Erzahl and this is a type of poetry that I have not yet seen from you. Neat! Best, Rach

This Poem was Critiqued By: James Edward Schanne On Date: 2004-12-16 10:50:11
Critiquer Rating During Critique: 1.00000
No light on your subject just found it an an interesting read and thanks for all the notes as they give necesassary perspective, and even though I'm of European descent I'll eat lighter.

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