Name the Dark

go in the corner
fit snugly with the air the oxygen
it’s all tight where the spider webs had been
the heater clinks
one of those old baseboard heaters
old but young to us
and we’re snugging into the space
they don’t name us kids don’t
they don’t name the dark
so we move freely and we scatter and flinch
under around the bed post feeling safe in the coiling of our action
and we are a part of the whole the mass
not invasive but elusive and wisping
through the time spent dreaming

curious to understand
our blinking blinking wetted eyes
we peer into the dreams of children
not to invade
it’s an an an understanding
and when we do get closer
to the knowing
to the naming of what we are
we don’t know
no
we don’t yet know
we never have not in time ever

and the kids they stir and we dash we run
we slink back into the corners
back to the young and old baseboard heater
back to the coil around the bedpost
all of us together wisp away swish to our bases
a game of danger to not be named as we are
fear to be named what we are not
for if we were named that which we are not
we could become something we wish not to be
and and and no no that would be fearsome indeed
the word we cannot say it
the word no we are not that
we don’t wish to become that
not the word not the malformed word that
so easily spills from their small mouth
and we hide
cover our ears
hoping it won’t pierce it won’t slice through
but it does and it hurts and we cry
our blinking blinking wetted eyes gutted more wet
soak our face
soil our happiness ruin the game
and we are monsters once again
monsters monsters monsters
we cannot stand to be such things
but we must become so
it has been spoken