My father always told me
“There are only good things in this house, my darling. There is nothing to be afraid of.”
And every night I still slept with lights
the one on the table
in the closet
on the desk
and the hallway light too
Because I always felt another presence
lurking in the dark corners
turning my house into a haunted space
And it was not until I was older
that I realized the creatures that haunted my youth
were only inside of me.
And once they left my body
The house my father always spoke of
materialized before me
And it was big
and clear
and bright
and safe.