Poor Fred...

Poor Fred...rejected again...by a great publisher though!

Fred

The lights were all off
The day over and done,
My mind was all filled
With laughter
and
fun!

The darkness and shadows
Intruding and scary,
I started to think...
Of monsters...
all spiny and hairy.

The clock said "tick tock"
The shutters they creaked,
I pulled the blanket up tight
The wind started to shriek.

I waited in terror
For demons unknown,
From hunchbacks to boogie men
My
Worried
Mind
roamed.

From somewhere quite near
I heard a new sound,
Gripping the bed clothes...
My heart started to pound.

I strained...
And I listened...
I wanted to hear,
The source of the sound...
Became suddenly clear.

It was not in the closet...
But under the bed,
Not at the foot...
But up by my head!

I sat bolt upright!
Trembling and cold,
Frightened and scared,
And not very bold...

A bit louder it came then...
A sob and a whimper,
"I'm frightened, and chilly,
and I've got a big blister!"

My mind all confused
I hadn't a clue,
As I thought and I pondered
What now to do...

Up on my knees
I crawled to the edge,
Resigned to do battle
U
N
D
E
R
the bed.

I slid to the floor
And took a deep breath,
Consumed by the fear
Of a horrible death!

I yanked up the bedspread,
Then, fell back on my hiney...
There, rolled in a ball
Was a monster...
All shivery and whiney.

My eyes took him in
From the tips of his paws,
To his small,
purple
chin.

His eyes were as big
As two saucers could be,
His arms were quite l o n g…
Well past his knees!

I looked on in wonder
And, frankly...in envy...
As his big, floppy, striped ears
Perked up...
to hear me.

He shook and he shivered
His long arms hugged himself,
"Are you cold?" I inquired...
Afraid for his health.

"Oh yes," he replied,
"Really quite so! And I'm frightened,
and lonely...from my head to my toes!"

"Is it possible..." I asked,
“do you think it could be...
that we could be friends?
best friends...you and me?"

He cocked his bright orange,
Fur covered head,
At a
comical
angle
u
n
d
e
r
the bed.

He closed one green eye
In a humorous wink...
Then he smiled,
and I saw that his teeth
Were bright pink!

I reached
out
my
hand,
And losing my dread,
I asked him his name
And he answered me...
"Fred!"

I took his green paw
And gave it a tug,
He scurried on out
And we stood on the rug.

"It's time for bed, Fred"
I told him quite sternly,
"We must get to sleep now
for morning comes early!"

We climbed in...
underneath the big quilt,
And we talked and told stories...
And we laughed and we squealed.

I'm not afraid now,
For the truth is...you see...
My monster, my best friend,
My protector
is
he!

Copyright©2006 by VSchoonover. All rights reserved.