Childhood terror
Reborn

Hurry Hurry Hurry
It's behind me
So close I can feel its breath
Frantic
Hurry Hurry Hurry
Scrambling up the stairs
It's so close
Screaming inside
Hurry Hurry Hurry
Terror surrounded by darkness
Slam the door
Barricade

Turn on the light
Wait for the sound of claws scraping
Scratching and skittering
Across this door

It wants in
It wants to burrow, crawl, eat, tear
Its way in

No matter how fast I run
No matter how well I hide
NO matter how much light

It will always be right behind me
I know
I always knew

That never kept me from running

Because it wants in
Into my reality

I remember once
Through the doorway of memory
Under the bed sheets
Cornered by fear
I decided to make it go away
I decided to become worse than my fears
To be scarier than the monsters
By becoming one

Childish

I wonder
If, deep down,
That's what makes real monsters

Trying to be scarier than the ghosts that haunt you
To be more of a monster than the ones that follow you

Perhaps it is because
Deep down
We already are

And that knowledge is the specter
That will always be scratching at our door

And maybe those of us who are the real monsters
Are those who stopped running
Those who opened the door

And let it in

3:56am
12/31/2005