I miss my childhood
When everything was so much easier
I wasn't scared to fall in love
I wasn't even scared to fall out of the tree
I fell of the fence enough times it felt normal
Normal to fall
But back then
I never got hurt from falling
Back then the hardest decision was what flavor ice cream i wanted at the bus depot with my dad
The worst thing that happened was my ice cream falling off the cone onto the floor
I miss the simplicity of things
The way I could play outside for hours and not get bored
When I used to play around on the street with my best friend riding our bikes til the street lamps came on and we knew to get our ***** home
I miss the old days
When life was simple
And I was oblivious to the horrors of this world
The bad things that actually happen
That there's more monsters than the imaginary ones under my bed
That I will end up falling but this time I'll probably get hurt
It wont be falling off the fence it will be falling in love
It won't be losing an ice cream
It will be losing a friend
A loved one

The pains too deep.
I just can't sleep.
I feel the monsters as they creep.

Demons dancing.
Goblins prancing.
Nameless blobs won't stop laughing!

I did this!
I am why they all exist.
And with my mind they play and twist.

Fear not those monsters that in the dark hide
Fear those instead that lurk deep down inside
For those in the dark little harm will do,
but those deep down inside can consume you.

The real monster
Is not under our beds
They lurk and hunt
Inside our heads
We can't seem to find
Out where they went
So we take out our anger
On people instead
So when a bottle
Breaks over your head
Try to remember
The monsters instead

Have you ever wonder what happen while you’re a sleep? Pitch black and nothing to see monsters gathering together standing patiently next to your bed. To share a special kid for a meal to eat, the tooth fairy is waiting to collect all your teeth and the boogie man still live under bed haunting your dreams. Make sure you close your closet door because you never know what will come after for your soul, a funny feeling that you’re not becoming whole. And the moment waking up in the middle of the night opening the door hearing little footsteps echoing though wall, a shadow creature creeping down the hall. Keeping you up late at night eyes popping out of your socket, pupil stretching your eyelids begging for this nightmare to stop of these horror monsters surrounding my mind. Suddenly I froze when I hear the scariest voice I ever heard whispering my name, saying you are mine to claim. Don’t cry now it all be over soon no light will ever save your life just one more prey dies today on these sheet of flesh and doom for my last collection of my masterpieces and that my child is definitely you.

**By Jacob Cuadro

Honestly,
I think we're all monsters
and we all have an excuse why
and whatever it may be
it's not a real excuse.
It's easy to get by
with a sense of validation,
as long as you feel justified
in your own mind.
I know we can't let what others think shape us,
but is it so horrible to once blame ourselves?
We all have choices to make,
and no one is truly obligated...
Honestly,
I can only blame me
for the choice to walk this path.
All the eyes on me, scrutinizing me,
it makes me want to feel shame,
but regardless of what they see
I need to do good by me.
I don't want to lay any blame
where it is not called for,
because we're all monsters wanting change
and we all have a reason to stall for.
I'm going to look in the mirror,
and tell you who is to blame,
honestly.

nightmares
are common to me
normally of silly things
like zombies rising
aliens abducting
monsters slithering

but recently
they have been of something more painful
of you leaving me
either by choice
or by death

it's ridiculous really
i know you won't
but my mind
says you will

it's terrifying
how much the thought
terrifies me

that losing you
could impact me so much

but i guess that's what love is.

-r.y.s

My cat howls at night. I sometimes wonder why.

I don't think it's 'cause he's lonely.
The door is open a crack and he knows how to get in.

Maybe he's going deaf. I heard that can happen.
"They howl real loud, like echolocation."

Or maybe my cat is a mutant.

All I can tell you, when he starts up like that,
is when I call his name he stops.
And comes into the room.
And jumps up on the bed.
And starts to purr.

So here's what I think—
that maybe what he's doing,
when he howls like that,
is scaring away the monsters so we can sleep.

I'm scared by the lack of monsters under my bed.

Because if they aren't there now,

When will they be back?

Twisted fingers
From longer, more twisted arms
Leading to your monster

They reach to grab you
To pull you in
To sink it's fingers into skin

But then you blink
And it's all gone
And you wonder if it was ever there

Until next time
Your monster is back
Its strike more deadly than the last