The Midnight Door

On the Eve of October

At the stroke of Midnight

I awoke to the final chime

Of a clock that is not mine

And as the sound hung

In the still of the night

I waited, breathless

At what it might portend

As its echo faded

Like a dying breath

Soft, padded feet

Traced their way

Unto my awareness

Tiptoeing across my floor

Chasing shadows

Beyond the distant edges

Of my suddenly too small bed

Wrapped and gripping tight

The security of my blankets

I stared into the shadows

There, a lone spark

Awoke and flashed

Taking flight like a fairy

It hovered before my eyes

A heartbeat moment only

Alien, insect eyes gazing deep

Into the nakedness of my soul

Then, darting away like a madman

It dove at the invisible feet

Which churred, darting after

Together they danced away

Shadow and light waltzing

Weaving through the dark

To draw my gaze to a door

Where, like the clock,

No door should have stood

Made of wood it was

And rimed with an eerie glow

Seeping through rusted hinges

And where the wood

Moss-stained, weathered

Warped and gaped

Cracked in places, so

The beyond could peek through

And beckon specter-like

To draw me close, unbidden

Betwixt firebug and ashen cat

Wondering, wide-eyed

It smelled of pine and oak

And other woods

Deep and dark and mysterious

Soft whispers echoed

And pulled my ear to the door

Promising…

Adventure?

Peace?

Dark romance?

It creaked open against my weight

Cat and bug dancing

Into the dark beyond

Where the blinking shine

Of firefly and stars and...

Blinking eyes perhaps

Blended with shadows

That might be trees,

Gangly giants or skeleton bones

The soothing scent

Of anise and cinnamon

Nutmeg and ginger

Hot pumpkin pie and spiced apple cider

Drew me through the precipice

Willfully, gladly

Lulled into the tranquil space

By the peace filled stillness

And soft caress of colored leaves

But the door slammed shut

With a deep groan of despair

And the snap of a lock

Long unused and weary

Echoing like a casket closing

I trudged forward, sullen

Abandoned by cat and bug

By even the light of the stars and moon

Darkness only led my steps

And the crunch of fallen leaves

The dank aroma of decay rose

While in the shadows

Something watched

Creeping close like the beast

That had inched towards Bethlehem

Crouching, waiting, calculating

Biding its time that I

I might find distraction

And fall prey at last

Lost forever

In this place

Called October.