Mom vs. The Monster Under the Bed: A Surprising Poem

Just re-discovered this oh-so-wonderful poem is by Carrie Shipers of Wisconsin, author of Family Resemblances: Poems (University of New Mexico Press). It was published on the site American Life in Poetry way back when. If you have a favorite poem about childhood – – or parenthood — please leave it (or a link!) in the comments. Mother Talks Back to the Monster by Carrie Shipers Tonight, I dressed my son in astronaut pajamas, kissed his forehead and tucked him in. I turned on his night-light and looked for you in the closet and under the bed. I told him you were nowhere to be found, but I could smell your breath, your musty fur. I remember all your tricks: the jagged shadows on the wall, click of your claws, the hand that hovered just above my ankles if I left them exposed. Since I became a parent I see danger everywhere— unleashed dogs, sudden fevers, cereal two days out of date. And even worse than feeling so much fear is keeping it inside, trying not to let my love become so tangled…