Alone
In my tent
In the woods
In the dark
Silence broken by deadfall snapping.
Something big approaches.
A memory.
I am a boy
In my bed
My hand hanging over the side
My brother says don’t dangle your arm
Something under the bed might grab it.
HE LIES
No bear-spray
No bear-banger, no blade
To pierce a predator’s hide
The noise grows louder, louder
Then stops
Heavy breathing just outside my tent.
A memory.
Afraid to open my closet door
Never, never
Go in the cellar alone
The boogeyman might get me
Dad says there is no such thing.
HE LIES
I hold my breath
Listen to the breathing outside
The sound of snapping deadfall
Now fading off into the night
I hold my breath still
Until the boogeyman is gone.