The Bogeyman

When I was a child, the Bogeyman

Lived in our water tank,

He’d grumble and rumble and growl all night,

I had my sister to thank,

She told me about his giant claws

And the great big teeth he had,

If I couldn’t get to the foot of the stairs

He’d be hot on my heels - How sad!

 

The tank sat next to the toilet seat

In a cupboard, close to a hatch,

It used to spring open and freak me out,

There was something wrong with the catch,

I’d pull on the rusted, clanking chain

And head for the landing, stairs,

If the water had stopped, before I dropped

The Bogeyman would be there!

 

He was only a second behind me then,

A second of terrors and fears,

The monster that lived in my sister’s brain

Has followed me, all these years,

I never could tell my Mother, or Dad,

They never would understand,

My sister said, in a voice of dread -

‘Only kids know the Bogeyman!’

 

We live in a world of monsters, who

Are waiting to gobble us up,

They follow behind, one second in time,

That second is all that we’ve got!

They pick off the stragglers, one by one,

They trip us and tear us apart,

If you’re old or lame, take your eye from the game,

The monsters will rip out your heart!

 

So when I heard the Horologists

Were planning to hold back time,

I knew that we were in trouble then:

‘Just a second,’ they said, ‘It’s fine!’

‘The earth has wobbled and lost just one,

It takes just one to adjust…’

I hid that night in the attic’s height

At the top of the stairs, and cursed!

 

The whole world wide has been thrust aside

By some atavistic past,

Where the monsters roam outside your home,

And the victims scream when attacked,

I sit and wait for the hand of fate

To rattle my own life’s plan,

And steady the gun, ahead of the run

Down the stairs, with the Bogeyman!

 

David Lewis Paget

 

(Horologists added one second to the last

Minute, at midnight, on 30 June 2012,

 to adjust Solar Time to Atomic Time).

Reviews

[Tate Morgan]

Oh man I loved this .I know of the time loss from the Japanese tsunami.Such a pleasant read for us all.I like that your twilight zone stories are laced in childhood fantasies and fears. Truth is i dont like scary but your stories arent scary they are seen from the eyes of the misinformed or childish or superstitious ,.Beautiful renderings of mankinds fears and dreams

[Dayran]

That's a very apt comment Tate.

[TL Boehm]

loved this. I remember as a child being afraid of "things" the noises they made, the appearances....yes. This piece took me back.

[Zombie Waffle]

Absolutely fantastic - I loved every line of this.

I'm sure everyone had their own bogeyman as a child. It may not have been in the water tank, but he was there.

This is genius - thank you. =)

[A Jainam Mehta]

Wonderful description of childish behavior and beliefs with an example of bogeyman. Every person had some stupid fear for once in his childhood.

[Debbie_Philly]

WHOOPS I mean CAN RELATE....LOL I need to proof read !!!

[Debbie_Philly]

This is Brilliant... and I know I cant relate.... every child... ( at least me and mine ) lol Had a bogyman of sorts..... just waiting. An amzing piece... your writing is flawless... I loo forward to reading more... and I came this way via Tate... his a big fan :) and now so am I !!

[cynthiabuhainbaello]

This is another one of your excellent pieces David. It relates the conception of fear from a child's point of view, and fears fed by the taunts of another child . The flowing natural way of relating the narrative connects with the reader because all of us had some fears like these when we were young. I will mention here the excellent form, style, and content this poem has plus the remarkable impact it has on the reader. The title is more than apt for the story, and wraps up the poem's last lines perfectly. Again, bravo!

[Emerald Seas]

This is such a fascinating read! Love the time concept that is the sounding board for this piece and how you've illustrated from a child-like perspective how precious a moment can be for us. Intense writing - thoroughly enjoyed!

[Ryzo]

aw wow powerful words! I loved this poem. The line I love most is the last one on the forth stanza "If you're old or lame, take your eye from the game, The monsters will rip out your heart!" that line gave me a shiver. The rythmic rhymme of the poem was spot on. Bravo David Lewis Paget! And once again, thanks for sharing another masterpiece! :)

[Michael X]

Makes the reader feel like a kid again, I admire the way you create a classic
feeling of childhood and memory, the sentimental attributes, this is brilliant.

[Marie]

Yes, w all have those fears...adults don't understand. Now, with this second's change, the monster are let loose...you've tld a fine story...