Poetry Response #3: Mr Fear by Lawrence Raab

Mr Fear by Lawrence Raab

He follows us, he keeps track.

Each day his lists are longer.

Here, death, and here,

something like it.

Mr. Fear, we say in our dreams,

what do you have for me tonight?

And he looks through his sack,

his black sack of troubles.

Maybe he smiles when he finds

the right one. Maybe he's sorry.

Tell me, Mr. Fear,

what must I carry

away form your dream.

Make it small, please.

Let it fit in my pocket,

let it fall through

the hole in my pocket.

Fear, let me have

a small brown bat

and a purse of crickets

like the ones I heard

singing last night

out there in the stubbly field

before I slept, and met you.

     Mr. Fear by Lawrence Raab, is portraying our nightmares as if it were a person. Someone who takes notes of things that may frighten us during the day and then using those fears as we sleep whether it be about death or other frightening events and thoughts. Wondering what fears he will bring that evening as if he has a sack to pick from, randomly choosing the next nightmare. Wondering if he is happy to give the fearful dream or sorry because maybe it his just his job to give you this dream. We ask for small nightmares that will not be so awful or something to allow us to protect ourselves through the dark. Delightful things heard before meeting fear in splendor. This poem shows nightmares very well in how they can effect us. Almost as if someone is watching the things that frighten us the most and making it come alive in our dreams. Such as loved ones dying or people close to us leaving. When I was little I used to have nightmares of tragic events killing my family or murders chasing after me. Some of our biggest fears seems to come alive in our dreams even if we fall asleep to pleasant sounds. Mr. Fear please stay from my dreams tonight so I may sleep tight.