Bedtime
A careful journey through the house
Starts with the regular routine
The easy things at end of day
Of switchings-off, and shuttings-down
Of locks and bolts and doors
And the silences that quickly fall
Within the lounge and in the kitchen
Then heading for the staircase
And the reluctant nightly climb
Towards the empty, darkened corridor
That harbours brooding shadows
And perhaps conceals an unseen something
Now trying to hold back a creeping fear
And the mounting tension
Engendered by an empty house
And too many nights of loneliness
Fumbling round the corner of the wall
With a trembling, groping hand
Seeking out the elusive switch
That will illuminate the feeble bulb
And banish darkness
From the space along the landing
And the hurried steps
Echoing against the plaster walls
Towards the master bedroom
Past the other door, her door
The one that never opens now
And diving quickly into the empty bed
To banish this unwanted fear
This irrational paranoia
And to try to fall sleep
Yet again alone
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