Phobia Poem by Herbert Nehrlich

R E L A X.................
the memory does not
disturb you.
You are happy to
go back in time
to that silly moment
when you first encountered
the mongrel dog
and you were sooo afraid.

As you return now
to the time and place,
you feel upon your skin
a hot and burning sun,
its golden rays so bright
that warmth and calmness
overcomes you soon.
Renewed with energy
you gaze into reflections
of the nearby creek,
it shows a trim and unafraid,
a youthful lad who bears a smile.

You turn and see him,
standing there,
a mangy tail between his legs,
a scruffy coat and
ribs symmetrical and prominent.
A critter wearing tags
that spell in bold raised letters
My Name Is Puny.

There is a tremor as
he turns his eyes away,
a nervous tic to flash
across his ugly face.
But as you stare, with pity
at what you once,
so long ago,
feared more than death,
a very bright
and healing light appears,
surrounding, now, the creature
like a halo.

And, instantly,
you know
that all your stresses,
fears and negatives
have kindly gone.
There is no need for them
to stay with you,
the master over
life's own fears.