The Nightman


I was belly button high to hell
when the Nightman began
to collect blue eyes and white skin.

The monster didn’t have
a season for hunting.
If you came chill skinned
close enough to his paws
he dragged you into his den.

He baited his hook with blame,
hooked it into your dreams,
and stained your fear with his name.

When I became too tall, too loud,
too strong, I became invisible.
Nightmare didn’t like his prey
to grow taller than his threat.

There was no freedom in free.
Cobwebbed into secrets every bump,
every shadow, every creak
stirred my imagination the monster
would return to see if I still
had blue eyes and white skin.

 ©Susie Clevenger 2017

#NaPoWriMo2017





Comments

Rommy said…
Curiosity might bring it back to look, but I suspect you are right. Once the prey has grown to big to be a convenient snack, the predator will look for easier hunting grounds.
said…
This is terrifying. It makes me think of a child molester.
Kerry O'Connor said…
This is truly horrifying, Susie. It is disturbing on too many levels of consciousness. Poetry like this is not easy to write but you have aced it.
Anonymous said…
This creeped me out big time. I mean it's supposed to right? Just the right amount of quiet menace. "The Nightman" is a simple yet provocative title.Gave me shivers.
Anonymous said…
wonderful, especially the first line
hyperCRYPTICal said…
Reading your comment on RT and knowing that your boogeymen was/is real brings another dimension to your disturbing write. I cannot pretend to imagine how you must have felt other than that it must have been truly horrifying.
I am sad that your freedom offers no comfort and hope that peace might come soon to you.
The kindest of regards.
Anna
Anonymous said…
To write of real nightmares takes weird ink -- it has to work visible and invisibly on the page. This has the emotional nakedness of the victim who never can get away, not as long as the speaker has "blue eyes and white skin." This Night Man is pure reflective shadow -- dark eyes and dead skin. This one howls.
De Jackson said…
This is a stunning piece, Susie. This stanza, in particular, is killer:
When I became too tall, too loud,
too strong, I became invisible.
Nightmare didn’t like his prey
to grow taller than his threat.
Anonymous said…
Stunning terror brought to life. Paying, toying, feasting on our deepest fears.
Nothing more horrifying than the terror come to life!
Outlawyer said…
agh. terrifying. sad.
Frank Hubeny said…
I can see how gaining height and strength would make one invisible.
Jim said…
Susie, I too can not imagine this except that it's a real monster who comes to devour it's prey.
..
Sanaa Rizvi said…
This is absolutely terrifying! Each stanza builds up trepidation and angst. Powerfully written.
Gillena Cox said…
" belly button high to hell"

Charmed from Line 1

(✿◠‿◠)

much love...
brudberg said…
Just imagining that the monster are waiting to come back gives me chills.