The Monster in the Closet
Friday Writings #14: Monster Madness!
optional prompt: "...the idea of monsters, either a specific one or monsters in general..."
The monster in the closet
is out again.
Roaring up the hall,
ravenous.
The cats scatter
and hide under the bed.
The dog barks,
then snaps at him.
The monster in the closet
is yellow
and has a long grey tail,
like a rat’s.
His name is Dyson,
which is not a proper monster name.
Monster names are fearsome,
ogre-ish and brute.
Still, he’s a monster,
loud and aggressive.
Grab his tail!
Wind it up!
Shove him back where he belongs!
Start the eviction process!
The monster sleeps in his closet
with the coats
and the board games
and a yard stick.
I wonder if he plays Clue
with the Dust Bunnies?
He doesn’t seem to eat them.
Don’t let him out on accident
when reaching for a jacket!
Watch your fingers!
Guard your feet!
The monster in the closet
is waiting to pounce.
Next time I’ll be ready
to pounce right back.
As soon as I get out from under the bed.
©2022 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved
DYSON
This is Dyson. I began this silly poem several years ago, when my then dog, Boo, would bark and snap and actually bite the front of the vacuum as I used it. Now, I have Mickey, who is scared to death of it. He knows the step after dusting is vacuuming, and starts pacing the house in a frenzy. After Dyson is back in his closet, I have to sit on the sofa next to Mickey to calm him. He has some trauma from his previous (7 weeks to 4 months when he was "returned" to the shelter due to them not liking the litter's DNA results) home. The prompt of monsters brought this poem back to my mind!
My present cat is profoundly deaf – which means that, unlike some of her predecessors, she does no fear the vacuum cleaner (nor thunderstorms).
ReplyDeleteThat is probably nice whenever there are fireworks or the like. Then again, it must be a challenge for you to let her know you're there so she doesn't startle.
DeletePS And, oh, so nice to read a light-hearted response to this topic!
ReplyDeleteYes, I didn't want "monster" is to be too much real life boogeymen type.
DeleteReasons we don't keep pets anymore ? Much too old to hide under the bed, closets as well.
ReplyDeleteI love this, our Dyson hides in our closet too. We went cheap, I guess, as he doesn't have a yellow hood or cape.
..
My newer one, which I got at a garage sale for $20, is mostly white. They sure are good monsters!
DeleteOMG I cannot stop laughing .. monster indeed! This is perfect poetry.
ReplyDeleteThank you! Using him is stressful since I know the pets are upset. You'd think they'd get used to it.
DeleteI'm with Helen. I laugh so hard I have tears in my eyes. I can imagine your dog (and mine too) freaking out at the sound of the monster.
ReplyDeleteLove the descriptions. So much fun to read.
Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :)
DeleteMy dogs are completely in agreement!
ReplyDeleteDogs can be such scaredy cats!
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