Clinging Stares Under the Cloak of Darkness

They get braver, it seems, under the cloak of darkness Like a monster from a bedtime story, Peeling back its human mask, allowed to roam free on the pitch-black streets And everyone, they think its you that is the problem. “That shirt’s too short to go out in” “You know, girls are getting trafficked at the mall now, you might want to cover up” “Make noise, if someone grabs you, yell, scream, anything” And them, the creatures of the night, They whistle and stare Eyes dragging over you, leaving you feeling dirty all over They aren’t human anymore, at night And even in the bright spots, under lampposts and in front of stores, No one is safe And your mother’s there at 8 sharp, just before the sun dips below the horizon Gone are the days of carefree play Gone are the nights lite up with fireflies The harmless, twinkling bugs have been replaced by snarling, whistling, staring-too-long creatures of the night