Scratches

SCRATCHES

 

A scratch, a scratch, upon my door

Something out there wants, implores

Old dog snoring, fat cat sleeps

Incessant racket—no relief

 

Alone with these ungodly sounds

I tremble as my fears unbound

Not cat, nor dog, can sense or hear

The scratches, scratching that I fear

 

It's Halloween Eve, spirits seek entry

As hideous Ghouls stand as sentry

Ghosts, goblins and their kind

Spasms of dread pulsate my mind 

 

 

Scratches dig deeper, louder still

Drawing me to it against my will

Trembling, I reach for the lock

No! My mind reaches out to block

 

The subliminal urge to heed the call

Quaking, bracing back against the wall

I smell fetid odors of evil’s spoor

And scratching, scratching at my door

 

Lured seductively, I lift the latch

Confront a terror that knows no match

Succumbing to the horrific task

It’s two feet tall and wears a mask!

 

Night sky lit by blood-red moon

Face to face with an irate raccoon!

Its beady eyes reflect a glare

Unafraid, it stands tall and stares

 

I draw a breath, deep with relief

Twas just a critter gave me grief

Yet nights may come; how soon, how near?

When it returns to refuel my fear

 

And the hideous scratch upon my door

No longer animal—so much more

The coon dashes off across the lawn

Innocent creature, perhaps . . .

Mayhap, the devil’s spawn