Cowardice & Pretense Poem by Nika McGuin
Cowardice & Pretense
A strong wind saunters through the house;
it pushes my door open with a loud creak.
I look over my shoulder in horror
but my voice is the picture of confidence:
'ma' is that you? '
'you always tryin' to scare somebody.'
There is no audible reply.
Pushing fear back into the crevices of my mind,
I force myself to look at the crack in the door.
An eerie kind of darkness stares back.
My body betrays my charade of dauntlessness
as hairs begin to rise. I block its entry
with a small trash can, only for it to be flicked away
almost mockingly. At this, fear is washed out by annoyance.
I replace the trash can with my heavy booksack
and I dare it to push that.
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/3/2024 10:42:56 PM # 1.0.0.1119
I read SERPENTINE ABYSS first and then this poem, and in a curious way they relate to each other. The one you co-wrote with Ash Flame is about a deep-seated psychological pain that won't heal but life goes on around it. This poem is about a temporary but genuine fear that is quickly dispelled but is overwhelming for a few minutes. I found the key lines for me were: I force myself to look at the crack in the door. / An eerie kind of darkness stares back. I I know that random fear which strikes us when we're alone, you've tapped a universal experience here. For the few moments it lasts, such a fear stops everything else. The relief you feel at the end of the poem, and your irritation at having been duped by your own wild imagination are both genuine.