Achluophobia Poem by Gary Scott Gebert

When shadows expire
beneath the cold hand of night
I lay eternally still.
Peering from old raggedy blankets
torn from my minds indulgences
obsessed as my lifeline.
An umbilical cord to the daylight
which seems so far away
out of reach, eluding my grasp.

Unusual sounds of nothing
enter and leave without invitation,
under my cot, wrestling in closet.
A maniac within my space
stealing moments of sweet slumber,
hiding around recesses of imagination.
Tormenting this tired soul
until I give in to this fear of mine
trembling, ever so quietly.

Sobbing in whisper
afraid to awaken more foes
I silently pray for relief.
An end to my suffering in the darkness,
hoping for the light to pierce through,
squelching them all.
Leaving me at peace,
to dream another nightmare,
the next coming of the night.