Nyctophobia I

Nyctophobia I
By Stephen Abell
No. of Words: 177

I don't go out in the dark.
There are nasty things about in the dark.
Things that lurk and wait
to pounce out of the shadows and the dark.

They are armed with knives, guns and axes,
and they walk around with human faces
that they took from their prey
the night before when they pounced from the shadows and the dark.

They love the shiny-glittery things
that their prey possess.
They scavenge the bodies
while the prey's blood and life ebb out into the shadows and the dark.

Back to the nests they fly
to gloat over their ill-gotten gains.
The sparkle of greed shines in their eyes
as they head back out into the shadows and the dark.

         Sunrise breaks on the horizon,
         Darkness is banished, for awhile.
         The killing-thieves resume their true forms.
         Black and white wings take to the skies.
         But their nature is still true.
         The sparkle still shines.
         Beware the Magpies.
         For when darkness falls they walk around with human faces.

I don't go out in the dark.