No Place To Hide

I harbor a mean spirit but not in my soul He roams through my consciousness as havoc and pain Trying to break through to that place where he’s banned Trying to break through to where my innocence lives Again and again he forces his will But it all goes for naught and he waits till I sleep Where Laura’s on guard in my dreams to protect With insomniac hell he still tries to invade Her will ever stronger than his fleeting advance Each night he comes knocking as she turns him away Until with mocking futility he warns me again In words that are cursed and bathed in disgust… “You can run to your Muse and hide if you wish But temptation and trial are served from my dish Go be safe in the womb but remember outside When you leave her protection, —there is no place to hide. (Villanova Pennsylvania: October, 2016)