The Biology of Night

The Biology of Night

Do you feel the cold nip ?,
Do you feel the dark creep ?,
Do you feel your chest grip,
And lungs rasp, and heart leap ?
Whatever else is in this dark,
You think,
It’s not alone out here –
For it must share this lonely park
With both you and your fear.
You hear that ?  Hark…
Don’t blink,
Don’t make the blood rush through your ear.
Ba-dump, ba-dump,
Your throat a lump,
Your calm but an veneer.
Now all your senses are abuzz,
To ev’ry twitch and sigh –
You only feel alive because
You’re too afraid to die.

Do you bite your numb lips ?,
Do you count each heart thump ?,
Do your prickled fingertips
Clench fast each time your teeth jump ?
Whatever else is in your mind,
You think,
It’s not alone in there –
For it must stalk your misaligned
And overactive lair.
Don’t look behind,
Just blink,
Before your nerves fly ev’rywhere.
Ba-dump, ba-dump,
Your tremors pump,
Your heart recites a prayer.
And yet, be thankful when it does,
For this, at least, is real –
You only feel afraid because
You’re still alive to feel.