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Under the Bed
At bedtime I would take a running leap
To vault the darkening space beneath the bed
Where terrors, having hatched inside my head,
Now lurked, as silent monsters while I'd sleep.
Across that mortal space, in faith, I'd fly
And feel the darkness clutching at my skin,
And hear the pounding answer from within,
As in the refuge of the bed I'd lie.
Such horrors swam in ravines of the mind
That split the ground to pools of blackest fear
Where ankles first I'd (screaming) disappear
To realms where adult consciousness is blind.
My leap to manhood left behind those fears;
The monsters have all shrunk while I have grown,
And now I sleep and know that I'm alone,
And all I see behind me are my years.
To vault the darkening space beneath the bed
Where terrors, having hatched inside my head,
Now lurked, as silent monsters while I'd sleep.
Across that mortal space, in faith, I'd fly
And feel the darkness clutching at my skin,
And hear the pounding answer from within,
As in the refuge of the bed I'd lie.
Such horrors swam in ravines of the mind
That split the ground to pools of blackest fear
Where ankles first I'd (screaming) disappear
To realms where adult consciousness is blind.
My leap to manhood left behind those fears;
The monsters have all shrunk while I have grown,
And now I sleep and know that I'm alone,
And all I see behind me are my years.
Published 19th Sep 2012
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19th Sep 2012 3:05pm
this is an excellent write. The description of childhood fear of monsters under the bed is well expressed. My favorite lines in this piece was "Where ankles first I'd (screaming) disappear, To realms where adult consciousness is blind." nicely done
20th Sep 2012 4:48am
Many thanks, and for pointing out your favorite lines. This is indeed a compliment coming from you.
Anonymous
- Edited 23rd Oct 2019 7:38am
19th Sep 2012 7:17pm
<< post removed >>
20th Sep 2012 4:46am
Thanks Flowergirl. And especially thanks for introducing me to this great site!!
Anonymous
- Edited 14th May 2018 11:51pm
19th Sep 2012 9:17pm
<< post removed >>
20th Sep 2012 4:52am
Thanks Jack. The horrors originated from a school teacher who told us, aged 8, to watch out for men with knives under the bed!! That was the 1970's in South Africa!!
20th Sep 2012 00:33am
This is killer,it brought back the haunting memories of not really knowing if there were monsters under the bed,but finished with the fact that the real world shows us bigger ghouls and lets us know what we lost in childhood. yeah killer poem
20th Sep 2012 5:06am
Very well written Paragon, dark and
just the right amount of suspense and fear,
Keep it UP!!
Best wishes
Ricecake
just the right amount of suspense and fear,
Keep it UP!!
Best wishes
Ricecake
20th Sep 2012 5:08am
20th Sep 2012 5:06am
Thanks, cygnusadrift, for your insightful comment. "killer" is an apt word, having been told, age 8, by a schoolteacher to watch out for killers under the bed (see my comment to Jack, above)! It's very interesting to know that other fellow poets likewise had fears of what lurked under the bed.