Poem: "Vigil Ante"

This poem came out of the March 6, 2012 Poetry Fishbowl.  It was inspired by a prompt from kelkyag and sponsored by rix_scaedu.  It's a direct sequel to "Not Mine."  You can read other poems in the Monster House series via the Serial Poetry page.

It is always a gamble
to seek justice in the human world.

The lurking shadow
knows what evil people do
when they believe that no one is watching.
He has seen it all before.

The monsters under-the-bed
and in-the-closet understand
that not all childhoods are made of
hair ribbons and candy canes.

The little old lady ghost
has seen her son shipped away
and sent back home in a box,
then seen through walls
and learned to read bloodstains.

Every time they call attention to themselves,
it is a risk: every person who sees them
and knows them for what they are
could be a danger.

It is always a gamble --
yet they do it anyway,
trying in their own way
to make the world a better place
whether by their hand or by ours.

Let the world do as it will.
I and mine will keep their secrets.
I tiptoe back up the stairs without a glass of water
and leave them in the kitchen
to comfort the silently weeping bogeyman.