Against me.
Against the wall.
The shadows create phantom scenes.
Behind the door lurks
the monster from last night.
Goodnight, mother says,
I’m afraid not, it responds.
The sound of doors closing, eyelids closing.
Split, splat,
the echoes of
drips.
The sound of feet,
the sound of fear,
the sound of not knowing,
the sound of childhood.
Suddenly silence.
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