Footsteps in the Hall

Footsteps in the hall,
Scratch marks on the wall,
Anticipation's tortured warning,
Monotonous delusion, panic forming,

Rustle of keys, clunk of lock,
Body stiffens, hard as rock,
Eyes lie sunken, sweat runs cold,
Panic consumes, expectancy looms,

Inaudible voice, muffled indistinct 
A faceless creature, creeps into sight,
Deafening silence, ear piercing dread,
The monster now settles, at the foot of the bed,

Reflex ushers, your knees to your chin,
Waiting for the inevitable, torment to begin,
From the darkness, a warm hand lays,
Upon the mistrust, of trembling fist,

The obscure face, begins to sharpen,
Painful grip, begins to soften,
Unyielding muscles, begin to ease,
Upon the creature's, gentle squeeze, 

The creature's appeal, to awake,
A warm contradiction, of fear's suspicion 
A tentative step, taken to trust,
The creature's form, begins to emerge,

A shape-shifting being affectionate & kind?
Or coercive persuasion, to unwind my mind,
A face of beauty, the room floral in scent,
Paranoid tendency, begins to relent,

The room, no longer a cell,
No intention, to imprison or quell,
Delusion's illusion, unfurls,
Eyes re-engage, seeking truth,

The creature breaks silence,
In soft reassurance,
Good morning, your safe, my dear,
For there is nothing, to fear, in here…

©️ 2020 Graham Marshall 
©️ poem only

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