MR Fear


He follows us, he keeps track.
Each day his lists are longer.
Here, death. And here,
something like it.

Mr. Fear, we say in our dreams,
What do you have for me tonight?
And he looks through his sack,
His black sack of troubles.

Maybe he smiles when he finds
The right one. Maybe he's sorry.
Tell me Mr. Fear,
What must I carry

Away from your dream.
Make it small, please.
Let it fit in my pocket,
Let it fall through


the hole in my pocket.
Fear, let me have
A small brown bat
a purse of crickets

like the ones I heard
singing last night
out there in the stubbly field
before I slept, and met you.

Lawrence Raab






M