I Dare Not Name

I wander the wood,

the Moon stretching overhead

guiding me in my caution.

I have always been afraid of the dark,

what lingers in the shadows,

the truth of who I am,

coveted and pressed in its hidden corners.

But as I stepped into the wood

the moon went away.

The towering trees blocking her light.

And I was all alone.

In the suffocating stillness

I heard the branches bend and break,

the dreaded thing approaching.

I tried not to move,

to hold in my breath.

But it found me there

and took my hand.

Made promises and prayers,

spoke of desires I dare not name.

Would that I was stronger.

It was why I was so afraid.

I knew better than to trust myself.

Knew I would succumb

when he whispered my name.