last October you wanted to visit that haunted house they set up in the park
I was afraid but really I’m more frightened by loneliness or abandonment
than theatre students in clown costumes jumping at me from dark corners
so I bought us both tickets and out of chivalry (not fear) I let you go first
through the plastic curtain separating our outside world from a scary unknown
you giggled cutely at the scientist laughing manically in his organ-harvesting lab
as he pulled a pink pig liver up from under that red rusted operation table
creating the illusion it had come from within the poor brunette writhing atop it
I thought about how loving someone is letting them slice you down the abdomen
run their hands over your naked throbbing heart hoping they’ll still want you
despite the bloody mess of it all and that thought scared me the most
I felt for your hand real bravely in that darkness till our fingers finally met
it would have taken my breath away but I had been holding it that whole time
like a little kid driving through a tunnel and this was just one really scary tunnel
covered in polyester cobwebs and corn syrup that looked a bit like blood
on account of all the red food dye and you guided us through long hallways
of vampires and zombies and werewolves till I spotted moonlight streaming
through the plastic curtain separating this scary world from an outside unknown
this time I went first and you held me to make sure I felt safe from the monsters
kissing my cheek real gently while I stood on the grass and trembled in your arms
I figured if we could survive the haunted halls of that Halloween themed house
then maybe we would make it this time it so I wrapped my arms round you tight
and I exhaled
RayKelley