The Robot in the Dark
A poem about a dream I had about a robot with glowing eyes. This dream occurred when I was a toddler–the robot looked exactly like Pappy from the kid's show "Rolie Polie Olie" during the Roundbeard's Ghost episode. I remember being scared of Pappy as he was sleepwalking outside at night, covered head to toe in flour.
Spotlight eyes, peering
around the corner at the top of the stairs–
its movements jerky, rigid,
on my neck are goosebumps, prickly hairs.
I can't breathe, I can't speak,
it watches, frozen in place.
I take another step but stop cold
as it emerges completely, advancing towards my space.
It makes weird noises,
strained groans, shuffling steps, beeps–
it looks like a hungry monster made of metal
and I struggle not to make a peep.
I don't want to provoke it,
but it keeps staggering towards me.
My mother and father are nowhere to be found,
my siblings I can only guess are fast asleep.
Accepting my fate, I brace myself,
but then a miracle occurs–
the robot topples over,
its eyes grow dark, and I hear no more beeps or whirs.
My father rounds the corner,
an electric plug held tightly in his hand–
the robot had been plugged into the wall by an electric chord
and my brave father disconnected it, taking a stand.
About the Creator
Madison Newton
I'm a recent graduate of Stony Brook University with a degree in Environmental Humanities and Filmmaking. I love writing and storytelling, and I love sharing my work so I can continue to improve my written voice.
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.