N is for Night

It’s the not knowing
That gets you
Ultimately.

Curtains drawn,
Heat turned way up
Artificial lights bright.

It was a quiet and ordinary night.
Except that it wasn’t exactly,
either.

Was it a terrible and frightening night?
Well, yes, if you were
in the wrong place

Which I wasn’t, exactly, either.
But which way did you go, and
Did you bring a friend?

The wind through the trees, you know,
Can sound like a scream,
And so can a scream.

And it’s hard to tell what’s the real jeopardy
And what’s just the regular stuff
A woman, alone, outside.

So be safe, going out on these nights,
Bring a friend, or mace,
Or just stay in.

Because inside, curtains drawn, lights
On, nobody will hear or see anything,
On a cold and windy night.

 

(Night image from the Library of Virginia via Flickr.)

(Written in November, 2015 as part of the Writers Digest November PAD Challenge)

(Posted today as my Day 14 entry in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge)