Childhood Fears

To all that goes bump in the night. Sweet dreams.

 

It lived in the toy box
It lived under the bed
It lived in the closet
And under the shed

It lived in the basement

All musty and dark

It lived in the hallway

It lived in the park

It lived under the bushes

That grew by the fence

It lived in the woods

Where the trees were so dense

It lived in the attic

Where old trunks were kept

It was stealth and quite sneaky

It attacked when I slept

Dad would come to my rescue

When I was afraid

He would check out the closets

He would close all the shades

He would leave on a night light

Outside of my room

He swept under the bed

With mom’s old battered broom

He would hug me and tell me

I was big and so brave

Then he’d yell at the boogie

And make it behave

So tonight I was called

To my little ones room

I smile as I walk in

To defeat boogies that loom

Reviews

[C.T. Bailey]

Oh...this is terrific. As I read, I thought about my own son, and how I have done these tasks as well...and lo..this is exactly where you took the wonderful piece. I too recalled the times in my own childhood that I just knew there was something moving about in the closet. And when I just knew I could feel the bed shake. I loved your rhyme and meter and I think you have created a fabulous write.
Todd

[Samuel Dickens]

How sweet. Yes, those boogie men love to torment the little ones. I could almost write a book on the subject, for they watched me from every nook and cranny when I was small. What a fine poem!