In The Still of the Night

In the still of the night,
when all was quiet
I found myself in a forest,
surrounded by trees.
It was like they stood guard,
or were they closing in on me?
Whatever it was, couldn't scare me away,
I was brave; or naive, should I say?

And so I walked on.
looking for the rays of dawn.
Rationality told me it wasn't wise,
but a disobedient heart made me choose otherwise..

Some way ahead,
a light flashed, just a tiny dot, but hope rose..
Making my way there, I saw it and froze.
There was the source, a lovely white owl.
What did I just hear? A jackal's howl?
Enough to keep me on my feet, I thought.
and with great willpower,
against the mounting fear I fought.

So I walked on,
now hoping for the rays of dawn...
Rationality and willpower did little against the fear,
for by now, the howls were all I could hear..

Some way ahead,
a mournful groan added to the mess...
I dared not follow,
so had to guess...
Was it for...
a heart longing to be set free?
or did it sense my presence, and moan for what would become of me?

Of course, it kept me going,
just the thought of my life at a predator's feet throwing.

And so I walked on,
now begging for the rays of dawn.
Making my way into the great unknown,
all the while, not a flicker of hope shone.

And then I saw it.
Out of the blue,
a vampirish bat flew..
Its eyes gleaming with a fiendish beauty;
our eyes met, and I wanted to run
run for my life, for all that was dear...
and cry out loud, for the world to hear.

That look in its eyes, without even blinking,
it had my hair on edge, it had set me thinking.

In the still of the night,
eerie things happen, I thought..
All the while, a heavy, mounting fear I fought.
Oh! how desperately some sunlight I needed!..
What next?
Mummies? Skeletons, or dinosaurs beheaded?

Only then did I realise,
how beautiful the world was,
and how pampered I  was.
not having to walk around in forests like these,
echoing with howls and moans and painful groans...

I recalled my grandma say, when in distress, take the lord's name, just pray.
So I looked up at the starry night sky
almost grinning at my plight, it seemed.
and for a moment I wondered, was my end so deemed?

I was still thinking, when my world shook...
the next moment I was on a tree
the next, falling off it, screaming,
Then I heard my mother's voice,soothing,comforting,
opened my eyes,
only to realise I was Dreaming...