The Monster's Not In My Closet
Dean Traylor is a freelance writer and teacher who writes about various subjects, including education and creative writing.
I.
I never worried about
Monsters in the closets.
I never cared
For the goblin under the bed.
The monster I feared
Never lurked in dark places
and never hid
in cramped spaces.
II.
The monster I feared
Didn’t have horns
Or fangs
or claws.
III.
She lived in a quaint house,
painted red, like blood,
with a lawn filled with
bone-white rocks.
This monster waited at the door
with a motherly smile,
beckoning parents with a wave
of her hand
to leave their broods in her care.
IV.
But, behind that door
that smile faded
and the hand became an open palm.
The beast within
Showed her true face.
And all you can do is wish
That a monster in her closet
Would come out
And eat her alive.
A Poem With a Curious History
This particular poem was one of many focusing on a particular theme. By reading it, one will understand that it is about child abuse. Unfortunately, not everyone saw that.
A heated exchange over Twitter occurred because somebody misinterpreted the poem as being "political". Despite being shown all evidence that it wasn't the individual held on to her belief, even twisting it further to fit in that framework.
Stating the obvious about this poem shouldn't be a thing to do. But, in this case, it had to.
Other Poem and Essay Based on the Subject
- Where's Lassie?
The dog always saved people on TV. But, why couldn't she come along when something real and dire happened? That's the thinking of a five-year-old stuck in a monstrous place.
© 2022 Dean Traylor