Picture a place you dare not go,
a face you dare not look upon,
a childhood fear that chills
you to the bone, only you know.

Huddle close beneath crisp sheets,
make believe that you don't feel a
slimy crawling weight upon your feet
working its way up your legs to eat.

Is your fear ragged fangs, or
pointed claws dripping blood,
foul hot breath upon your cheek,
or mangled face under the bed-
breathe easy now, all your screams
will not be heard
will not be seen
will not stop your skin from being
ripped to shreds by dirty pointy things.

Joseph Roque, was last seen in the woods of New England-- seducing nature and gathering words in glass jars while avoiding capture by Merlin's Shadow Warriors. Most recently, his poetry has appeared in Silver Wings Magazine, MadSwirl.com, A Tender Touch and A Shade of Blue, RagMag.org, eMuse-zine.com, Aphelion, A Long Story Short, Psychopoetica, Cerebration, Censored Poets, The Poet's Haven, and is forthcoming in Zygote in my Coffee.com.