by Dan Dillard
CURE FOR THE COMMON CLOSET
The child she would shiver and quiver with fear.
My poor little pumpkin, my poor little dear.
"What frightens you, angel? What's scaring you so?"
She answers me timidly, "Dad, I don't know."
"It lives in my closet with teeth sharp as knives
It watches with red, glowing, horrible eyes.
I can hear it breathing when I try to sleep.
I cover my face up and don't make a peep."
I look at my baby, scoop her into my arms
And tell her that I'll let her come to no harm.
"I know how to lessen your terrible visions!
There's no monsters allowed without daddy's permission."
"I know!" says my child. "That's why I'm in a spot!
If it doesn't fear you, then what chance have I got?"
She looked at the door to her closet and then,
She snuggled back into my arms once again.
My heart felt the pain of the innocent one
And my brain worked out how this could all be undone?
I gave her a teddy to calm her concern,
Then grasped the brass doorknob and gave it a turn.
She raised up the bear to shield her eyes from the view
Of ghosts and of creatures, of violence and grue.
I surveyed the contents of that tiny room
And found the foul beast in its hideous tomb.
I lunged at it mightily. My little one cheered.
"Please be careful, Daddy!" rang out through her tears.
The red-eyes they darted this way and that,
They stalked me and hissed like a menacing cat.
My hands got a hold of its mangy black cloak
And then on its neck where I squeezed till it choked.
Then I turned on the light so that she could see
I had hold of her nightmare, she hollered with glee.
The monster shrieked at the light and bellowed with fear
"Not my house!" I yelled. "You're not welcome here!"
I took it downstairs and I tossed it outside
To the cold with no closet in which it could hide.
"You keep all your monster friends clear of this place
Or I will come find you, remember this face!"
It ran with a whimper and never looked back,
All that was left in the snow were its tracks.
I ran up the steps so my baby would know
That her monster was gone, he'd run off through the snow.
She was hugging her bear but then she let him go.
My little girl hugged me, her mouth in a grin.
"I'll never be scared in my bedroom again."
