The Eyes in the Corner

The eyes in the corner
Have found me again
Watching and waiting
To bring about my end

It sits in the corner
Just staring
But I have better things to do
Than to start caring

About these invasive eyes
Watching my every move
It likes the corners and pries
Itself into my life

At first I thought it dreadful
A thing of teeth and night
A pair of eyes that followed me
Just beyond the kitchen light

But nights grew long and lonely
And silence filled the halls
And somehow when I felt afraid
I found comfort in it all

Though it never spoke a word
I began to speak for two
I'd tell it of my troubles
And the little things I'd do

I'd ask it how its day had been
I'd tell it about the rain
I'd talk about my worries
And all my little pains

And sometimes in the quiet
I'd swear its gaze had changed
As though it understood me
As though it knew my name

I started leaving lights off
So it could have a better view
And I'd glance toward the corner
When I didn't know what to do

I'd tell it when I was happy
When the world had been unkind
And though it never answered
I imagined it didn't mind

I stopped referring to it as it
I don't remember when
I simply found myself saying he
And never said it again

I wondered what he'd look like
If he stepped into the light
If his hands were warm or gentle
If he'd hold me through the night

I wondered if he'd smile at me
Or brush my tears away
If he'd sit beside me on my bed
And ask about my day

I wondered if he'd listen
When I had nothing left to say
If he'd stay beside me quietly
And never walk away

I wondered if he'd love me
If he could only be real
If he'd understand the things I hide
And all the things I feel

For I have spent so many nights
Wishing someone would appear
Someone who would sit beside me
And tell me I was dear

Someone who would hold me
When the world became too much
Someone who would love me
And let me feel their touch

And now I have these eyes
That watch me through the night
And somehow I feel safer
With them within my sight

I no longer fear his presence
I no longer question why
There's something almost comforting
About his patient, watchful eyes

He's there when I am sleeping
He's there when I awake
He's there when I am laughing
And when my heart might break

And perhaps I've grown accustomed
To the darkness in that space
Or perhaps I simply needed
Someone who would always stay

I began to dread the mornings
When the sunlight filled the room
Because I couldn't see his eyes
When the corners lost their gloom

I'd hurry through my errands
I'd rush home through the rain
Because I knew that he'd be waiting
And I'd see his eyes again

Sometimes I'd catch myself smiling
As I looked into the dark
I'd tell him all my secrets
And the things that left their mark

I'd tell him that I missed him
When I'd been away too long
I'd tell him he was handsome
Though I knew that sounded wrong

And then one night I whispered
Something strange and new

"I wish that you were human
So I could be with you."

The words hung in the darkness
And I felt my own heart ache
For what a strange thing to confess
To something born of fright

To wish a pair of watching eyes
Could hold me through the night

But he had never left me
Not once, not even then
And I had never felt so wanted
By anyone I'd ever met

So I pulled the covers to my chin
And smiled into the gloom
I wished that he could lie with me
And chase away the lonely room

I wished that he could touch my face
And tell me I was loved
I wished that he could take my hand
And be more than eyes above

But wishes are just wishes
And eyes are just eyes
And I knew that he was only
A shadow in disguise

Or so I told myself
As I settled into bed
And whispered all the things to him
That I'd never said

"Goodnight, my love," I whispered
And closed my tired eyes

Two eyes gleamed across the room
And watched me as I sighed

And for the first time in my life
I didn't feel alone

I fell asleep contentedly
And dreamed of coming home

But when I woke the next morning
Something wasn't right

The corner stood there empty
And I couldn't find his eyes

I called out from my bedroom
I searched the hall and stairs
I looked into the darkest spots
And found nobody there

And suddenly the house felt cold
The silence felt unkind
I missed the eyes that watched me
I missed the peace of mind

I missed the way he stayed with me
When no one else would care
I missed the way I felt so safe
Just knowing he was there

And when the night came creeping
I sat alone in bed
I stared into the corner
And wished for him instead

"I miss you," I whispered
"I wish that you'd come home."

And then I heard a whisper
From somewhere just behind me

"My dear, your wish has come to be."