Just As Afraid of You

Have you ever hid in a corner while night ran barefoot down your hall.............

Have you ever hid in a corner
and imagined the night
ran barefoot
down your hall?

Perhaps it was as frightened
of the hours
and what would happen
before morning chose
to speak
as much as you.

Did you find that you were frozen
by the silence
yet still remained puzzled
in the knowledge
that a mere sound
should be the very thing
you fear the most?

Have you ever decided
not to check under your bed
then later wished you had so badly
because you could taste
fear's own breath?

Did it ever occur to you
what is under there
in the first place
may be just as afraid of you?

Author's Note

I was once afraid of the dark..............

Reviews

[lyssilou]

I like it! It gives as new meaning to the night and how eary and frightning it really can be. I love the way you use personification throught the poem.
"perhaps it was as frightened of the hours....."
I honestly do like it! Keep up the good writes Neva!

[Allen Smuckler]

Have you ever wondered...just how good you are....Well you should
You're so talented and creative that I just pick up writes..randomly and just know I'm going to be entertained...you never disappoint... I can't get this smile off my face.
Neva, you have an uncanny way of conveying what everyone feels and thinks, and putting it in such a way that we're all nodding our heads in agreement by the end.
I loved everything about it...How can I critique, when it's perfect.
Allen

[Chris Smith Welshpoetcs]

I can relate so well to this.

[Lucy]

The two sides. Not exactly light and dark, but rather the voice of reason and the voice of instinct. Made all the more interesting by the fact that they are united in our minds. I am 15, and still kind of fear the dark. I don't know if it's more of a 'bogey fear', where I'm afraid of a green man jumping out at me or a 'spacial fear' where I'm creeped out by not knowing what is out there. Even as I write this, in the dark, I hear sounds that make my hands shake with fear. Of course, it's just my cat. But that doesn't remove the original principle that we are all paranoid about what's 'out there'. Good work, as usual. Geez, I didn't realize I wrote out such an essay for you :). Sorry! Maybe I should do an essay on this: the two minds and the two fears...

[Creepy Swine Guy]

Interesting piece. Almost two people inside of you, one who fears and the other who tries to calm and reason with the fear.

[John Patrick Robbins AK..]

Neva this was agreat change of pace for your work once i really liked.
and i never check under the bed cause well i usally pass out behind the bar so
hey wait a minute i think i left a beer from when i was ten under there awsome
and look theres a art mag as well oh how i love the arts

great work stay crazy
Gonzo

[Letemdangle]

Great play on fear. I think it has more words than needed. The second stanza made me stumble a little.

Excellent imagery and sense of fear. Makes the reader examine their own fears.

[Thomas Fitzgerald]

What I am in love with is your style, with each working of yours I read, I find you slice normality like tender flesh, it's always shocking and playful, well done!

[Pollyanna]

I need to print this and present it to my 17yo!

[Audrey Howitt]

Word play really seems to be your strength in the little that I have read of your work. My favorite part: Have you ever decided
not to check under your bed
then later wished you had so badly
because you could taste
fear's own breath?

This seems rougher in emotion for you--liked how direct it is!