"Wait, I have to pee."

Thursday

Warm bath, soothing lotion, clean pajamas, and brushing teeth. 

Papa sings, Mama reads, then it's time to go to sle__...

I wash my hands and back to bed. 

Mama kisses my forehead and then it's time for be_...

"I'm so thirsty."

Papa brings water in a mug, he reaches for a hug, and then the sheets he tightly tuck saying, ”goodnight my love”. And then...

I'm all out of alibis, so I begin to cry.

So I doze off, but I wake up, and He's no longer there.

Thursday

Papa wipes my tears 

Telling me there's nothing to fear,

He's still here.

It's dark! The floor disappeared. 

The monsters are here. 

Who fears the dark? 

I fear the dark!

Woe is me!

I scream.

I scream. 

I scream.

The next night all is right.  

I asked and Papa bought me a night light.

Friday

Friday

But unlike the norm,

Tonight's a thunderstorm.

I hear the thunder. I see the strike.

Then out goes the night light.

It's dark! The floor disappeared. 

The monsters are here. 

Who fears the dark? 

I fear the dark!

Woe is me!

I scream.

I scream. 

I scream.

Mama sits me down.  It's time for a talk.

Why am I so afraid of the dark?

"I don't know what's there, and

I get so scared."

Mama rubs my hair, and says she understands fear.

Fear is meant to keep us safe, alert to danger, and prepared to act, but only with real evidence, those fears must be backed.

In the Army, she wore night-vision goggles to toggle between night and day.

They helped her to see in the dark and to always know the way.

I insist I need night-vision goggles, 

so Mama suggests a game.

”Pretend night-vision googles”, she said, 

”works just the same”.

When I find myself in the dark, 

I am to put them on, 

calm my breathing, and listen some.