The Bone Church

"The Bone Church" is a narrative poem by Stephen King, first published in the November 2009 issue of Playboy,[1] where it was illustrated by Phil Hale.In that introduction, King reveals that the poem is a revision of one he remembers writing in the late 1960s, which was performed by a friend at a University of Maine gathering.The poem's narrative is told in the first-person vernacular of a bar patron, who, in exchange for memories, demands drinks of his unidentified listener.The poem is related much like a regular narrative, as distinguished (by King himself in his prologue to it, for The Bazaar of Bad Dreams) from lyric poetry.It contains fewer than twenty stanzas and, although an occasional rhyme can be discerned, follows no standardised form, placing it in the category of free verse.
Short storyStephen Kinghorrorfantasynarrative poetryPlayboyThe Bazaar of Bad DreamsCharles Scribner's SonsA DeathMoralitynarrative poemPhil HaleUniversity of Mainefirst-personvernacularlyric poetryfree verseRobert BrowningMy Last DuchessChilde Roland to the Dark Tower Camemagnum opusDark TowerSamuel Taylor ColeridgeThe Rime of the Ancient MarinerRudyard KiplingStephen King's short fiction bibliographyThe GuardianInternet Speculative Fiction DatabaseMile 81Premium HarmonyBatman and Robin Have an AltercationThe DuneBad Little KidAfterlifeHerman Wouk Is Still AliveUnder the WeatherBlockade BillyMister YummyThe Little Green God of AgonyCookie JarThat Bus Is Another WorldDrunken FireworksSummer ThunderBibliographyShort fictionUnpublished and uncollectedAwards and nominationsCarrie'Salem's LotThe ShiningThe StandThe Dead ZoneFirestarterChristinePet SemataryCycle of the WerewolfThe TalismanThe Eyes of the DragonMiseryThe TommyknockersThe Dark HalfNeedful ThingsGerald's GameDolores ClaiborneInsomniaRose MadderThe Green MileDesperationBag of BonesThe Girl Who Loved Tom GordonThe PlantDreamcatcherBlack HouseFrom a Buick 8The Colorado KidLisey's StoryDuma KeyUnder the Dome11/22/63JoylandDoctor SleepMr. MercedesRevivalFinders KeepersEnd of WatchGwendy's Button BoxSleeping BeautiesThe OutsiderElevationThe InstituteBilly SummersGwendy's Final TaskFairy TaleNever FlinchTalisman 3The Dark TowerRichard BachmanThe Long WalkRoadworkThe Running ManThinnerThe Bachman BooksThe RegulatorsNight ShiftDifferent SeasonsSkeleton CrewFour Past MidnightNightmares & DreamscapesHearts in AtlantisEverything's EventualJust After SunsetFull Dark, No StarsIf It BleedsYou Like It DarkerDanse MacabreNightmares in the SkySecret WindowsFaithfulCreepshowCat's EyeSilver BulletMaximum OverdriveSleepwalkersA Good MarriageSorry, Right NumberGolden YearsChingaStorm of the CenturyRose RedKingdom HospitalHeads Will RollHeroes for HopeAmerican VampireMichael Jackson's GhostsBlack RibbonsGhost Brothers of Darkland CountyThe Best American Short Stories 2007Six Scary StoriesFlight or FrightCarrie WhiteMargaret WhiteSue SnellRita DesjardinKurt BarlowRichard StrakerFather CallahanJack TorranceDanny TorranceWendy TorranceDick HallorannRose the HatRoland DeschainRandall FlaggCrimson KingBill DenbroughBeverly MarshRichie TozierGeorgie DenbroughGage CreedJohnny SmithAnnie WilkesTanya RobertsonHolly GibneyCastle RockJerusalem's LotShawshank State PrisonAll-WorldTabitha KingJoe HillOwen KingList of adaptationsDollar BabyBibliography of works on Stephen KingRaymond H. Fogler Library archivesRock Bottom RemaindersPeople, Places and ThingsPhiltrum PressSix StoriesStephen King Goes to the MoviesCharlie the Choo-ChooHearts in SuspensionThe Secretary of DreamsKing on Screen