Where the Monsters Are

 

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Once upon a time, I knew that monsters
lived under my bed and in my closet,
They came out when we switched off the lights.
Wrapped in blankets and holding all limbs still,
I was safe.  And leaving one light on would
force the grizzly monsters to hide.  There came
a day when I scoffed at my fears, let the
presences go, and slept calmly in
domestic spaces. Still, fear of the dark
remains, and strange sounds quicken my heart.
 
Monster-like reactions rise when film sound plots
“work” on me.  Add melodramatic music
and panic rises.  Horror films like Jaws
bring back the danger of having exposed limbs. 
Add violence and killing, and I have to close
my eyes and cover my ears.  Given the power
of story to raise monsters, imagine the power
of reality.  News brings monsters home through
war, genocide, street fighting, and natural disasters. 
I fear the future if we cannot stop our monsters.

 

For my prompt "what you found 'spooky' or 'eerie'"

 My blog poems are rough drafts.

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© 2026 Susan L. Chast