Fear Poem by David Mitchell

One dark night in the distance,
As I walkéd through the wood,
I saw a sable figure,
Terrible, wearing a hood.
It was more dark than grimmest night,
And it approachéd me,
That horrifying person which
Near death did frighten me.

I turn’d, and ran, as fast I could,
And ran into the night,
A long way from that uncouth hood,
Quiv’ring with nervous fright.

I could not see the way I went,
And I rush’d tremendously fast,
And then I look’d behind me, and
A glance towards it cast.

It was much much too close to me;
I would it were a dream;
And then methought it touchéd me,
Which causéd me to scream.

It stood like statue by my side,
This Figure, with his hood:
“May’st thou thy face show unto me? ”
Stock still the Figure stood.

“Why dost thou not as I thee ask’d? ”
It not a thing did say.
The sun came up: at last I saw
The glorious light of day.

And when the sunbeams of the dawn
Upon the forest shone,
I look’d around me—saw it not
—The hateful thing was gone.

(Written in 2001. Revised up to 2003. This is my earliest poem.)