Devilishly Dreadful: God Save the Jack

Tristan Robert Lange



Statement of Witness: Jane Alsop
Date of Birth: 11 October 2004
Address: 13 Cinderhouse Rd., Old Ford, London
Date/Time: 15 September 2025 at approximately 21:00 hrs.
 
Witness states, “Thanks officer, you ain’t gonna believe me story, but the most awful thing happened, right ‘ere in me own ‘ouse! Honest, if I didn’t know better, I’d’ve thought it was you what done it...”
 
A crackle
From
the
telly.
NEWS FLASH
Splashed
across
the
screen.
 
“There I was, me an’ me dad, sittin’ at the telly for a good go of the Linkest Weak...oh bother...The Weakest Link or whatever it’s called. There we was, just mindin’ our business when a loud knock came at me door. I told me dad I’d check, see, but officer, when I opened it, me door that is...”
 
[Reporter]:
This just in—
The Most Honourable Marquess
Harry Thornwick
of
Blackmoor,
is about to
  speak
 any
moment now.
Stay tuned to your telly...
 
“‘Honest, ‘E looked just like one of you coppers. A real one if I’ve ever seen one, as real as you are before me, officer. ‘E stood there an’ asked me for a light. I thought it odd, myself, but, being a copper, I let ‘im in.”
 
[Marquess]:
My fellow countrymen,
As your Marquess,
I come before you,
In our great nation,
to speak of
The moral
 
DECAY
 
We see pervading
Throughout
    the
United Kingdom,
a scourge
that
consumes
our
very
soul.
 
“Officer, ‘e just threw off ‘is disguise and I could see ‘e was no guv; rather, ‘e was a noble looking fella,  dressed to the nines, lookin’ all fancy like...but ‘is face was covered and ’is eyes, those awful, red eyes....”
 
[Marquess]:
Our streets are being
 
OVERTAKEN
 
By the lazy,
   the
        des-
       ti-
    tute,
The homeless—
 
Ones who have
Taken our
charity
for granted—
draining our
Resources
For far too long;
all the while,
Our women are
being terrorized
On walks,
Even in their own homes
By some foreigner,
Some godless lunatic...
 
“And ‘e had these long fingernails—no, not nails, but claws—these long metallic claws. ‘E tore at me shirt an’ me body. Naturally, I screamed, officer, as loud as I could, and me dad came runnin’...”
 
[Marquess]:
To the sensible,
To the
righteous
to the
Christians who
remain in
His Majesty’s
great and
United Kingdom,
we must rise up,
engage in public life,
and fight the
 
   ENEMY’s depravity,
 
Bringing justice
and peace to our land.
 
“No, I’m tellin’ you the truth, Officer, a blue flame shot at me dad, nearly burnt ‘im, an’ then ‘e leapt up to the roof and was gone. ‘Ere’s the only thing I know for certain, ’E ’ad a voice much like that Marquess on the telly, but slightly rougher. Almost as if ‘e were ‘alf noble, ‘alf East End, you know? I swear, I’ll never be able to sleep now, Lord ‘elp me, Officer. Lord ‘elp me.”
 
End of Statement
 
This statement was read over to the witness, who attested to the truth of it to the best of her knowledge and belief.
 
Signed: Jane Alsop
Signature witnessed by: Police Constable Sarah Clarke, 8889CE
Date: 15 September 2025
 
© 2025 Tristan Robert Lange. All rights reserved.
 
Tittu
  • Author: Tristan Robert Lange (Offline Offline)
  • Published: October 6th, 2025 09:26
  • Comment from author about the poem: For Macabre Monday. The first poem written in my new Dossier Discovery form, this is the fourth entry in my series Devilishly Dreadful. Inspired by the legend of Spring-Heeled Jack and Jane Alsop’s infamous encounter, this poem reimagines his terror in today’s London — where testimony, broadcast, and sermon blur, and hypocrisy wears a noble mask.
  • Category: Gothic
  • Views: 10
  • Users favorite of this poem: Friendship, Paul Bell
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Comments +

Comments5

  • sorenbarrett

    Tristan, I love this style. It works so well with the intermittent interjections from either party. It tells the tail of spring jack not well known in the United States but I know historically was quite the thing in England. Very nicely done for this season of the year it shows shades of darkness. Well done, my friend.

    • Tristan Robert Lange

      Soren, I can’t thank you enough, my friend. The broadcast dread, the sermon mask, the old legend haunting new screens...you are right, not so well-known over here in the States. Felt like a good one to update and reintroduce. So glad it delivered. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦‍⬛

      • sorenbarrett

        You are most welcome Tristan

      • Friendship

        A bit of a twist for me, yet l enjoyed it. Your poem explores the intersection of class, crime, and identity within the context of contemporary British society. It contrasts the mundane reality of a witness's life with the sinister events that unfold, culminating in a confrontation with a seemingly noble yet malevolent figure. The poem critiques social decay and the fear that arises from a perceived loss of safety and moral integrity.

        • Tristan Robert Lange

          My friend, I’m deeply grateful for that insight. You captured exactly what I hoped would surface...the clash of class, faith, and fear wrapped in modern form. Evil never leaves; it just changes attire. Thank you for seeing it. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦‍⬛

          • Friendship

            You're very welcome, my friend,❤️

          • orchidee

            Good write T. Is that Obi in the picture?! lol.

            • Tristan Robert Lange

              Hard to tell, but this one did not go \"Ah-gah-gah-gah-gah-gah!\" Rather, whoosh! So, yeah, now that I think about it, Oi be, it just might be Obi!🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦‍⬛

              • orchidee

                Do we know Mr Obi W. Ken? Strange name. Any ideas how he got that name? Don't answer that, of course! lol.

                • Tristan Robert Lange

                  Very strange indeed! What does that W, stand for? Don't answer that!

                  • orchidee

                    I'm gonna partly answer that. lol. I'm sure it stood for Wilf at some point but then he changed it to....... lol.

                  • Paul Bell

                    If this was today, I could see Jack the ripper going crazy over spring heeled Jack and his exploits. Just not on Gov, we can't have people like you running around London scaring people when I'm trying to kill them. Mind you, in today's London, both of them wouldn't last five minutes.

                    • Tristan Robert Lange

                      Paul, love that...your dark humor nails it. Putting Jack the Ripper and Spring-Heeled Jack in the same room is a savage image…who terrorizes whom, who survives the other’s chaos. Brilliant, blunt, and devilishly dreadful! Also, truth on those two not having a hot chance to survive (as they were then) in today's time. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦‍⬛

                    • Doggerel Dave

                      Brilliant write I more than enjoyed, Tristan. With you on your commentary when 'hypocrisy wears a noble mask" . Not going near the sound cloud...😂😊

                      • Tristan Robert Lange

                        Dave, truly appreciate that, my friend. You locked right onto the heart of it...“hypocrisy wears a noble mask” is where the real horror lives. And haha, fair enough on the SoundCloud! Always grateful for your read and humor. 🌹🖤🙏🕯️🐦‍⬛



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