“Fear”

Mountains of stone weigh on my shoulders,
not of responsibly and what I know
I must do, but of what I can’t, of
fear.

It crawls through my skin,
spiders with eight long, twitching legs
to stab me as it bites and it’s
venom spreads to my heart.

I whither and die, a thousand
decaying leaves long fallen from the
trees in autumnal celebration and
trampled by careless children.

The deepest depths of suffocating
water drown me and bury my
corpse beside fish bones, their flesh
consumed long ago by hungry sailors.

Golden heroes stand fearlessly before
raging dragons, fat and greedy, but
I fall to my knees and scream helplessly for
useless aid as a pixie flutters by.

When I glance up, tears staining my face
and sending glimmers to my red eyes,
your hand reaches down and waits for me;
“You can face them, you’re stronger.”

But I know I’m weak. I push your hand
aside and curl in on myself so I see only my
damp and shadowed knees beside
dirty hands, wet with tears.

You smile sadly and reach your
hand out to me again. It glistens pale in the
darkness as you say “I’m
afraid too, won’t you help me?”

But I know I can’t, not when my own fears
swarm my mind like filthy white
maggots, fat on my thoughts and
greedy for more. I’ll always give it.

Kindness shines brightly from your eyes,
so I shield mine and turn away when you
lift me onto your back and motion to the
shades and ghouls that haunt my dreams.

“Nothing can hurt you now, I’ll
protect you.” You shine; the
glow covers me and shows the shadows
empty.