You Coward!
by Stephanie Marottek

Show me your face
you coward!
You stalk me silently,
no one knows you're there,
but me.
You are a sneaky devil
but I know your tricks.
I can see your headlights
in the rearview mirror
as I drive late in the night.
I can feel your eyes upon me
as i lie in bed
vainly trying to find sleep.
I know you are behind me
when I am in a crowd
watching my every move.
You wait by the corner
when I turn into the drive.
I've seen your tracks in the garden
adn I know you are nearby
always.
So many times I've nearly
caught you,
but you ran.
Coward.
Hiding, avoiding confrontation.
But one of these days
you'll be relaxed and not aware.
That's when I'll catch you,
I'll capture your evil ways.
And I'll take you to the shed
and lock you in.
I'll call the police to come
and get you.
They'll lock you up and
throw away the key!
And then I'll be free!
I see you now......
I turn quickly and look into your eyes-
startled.
You freeze and I see who you are.
I recognize your face.
I weep
knowing I cannot turn you in,
for you are too precious to me.
I need you here by me,
even if it means torment.
To let you go would mean more pain.
So I reach out
and take your hand
and draw you near in an
accepting embrace.
No one knows
or has seen you,
for you are mine alone,
you are my grief.

 

Editor's Note:
Stephanie is a prolific poet who has been kind enough to share her work with all of us on the KotaPress Yahoo Discussion Group. I wanted to thank her again for letting me share some of that work here in the Loss Journal, too!

   
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