The Tikoloshe [4] Poem by Gert Strydom

At night something is jogging between the houses
that is neither animal nor man
and the face of it is distorted
full of hatred with a unearthly meaning,
with eyes gleaming bloody red
that makes people freeze from fear
when he climbs through a window,
comes nearer, grabs you with mighty arms
and everywhere the dogs of the neighbourhood are barking,
howl and cry in great fear
as the figure is something more terrifying than from the grave
and everything that comes across it wants to flee and hide from it
as where it comes blood does flow
before the first glowing of the morning.