Suspicious Mind Poem by RIC BASTASA

the five dogs
are barking again
against the fence
towards the
road
someone is coming
someone
evil
someone destructive
of your palace of peace
your haven of love
your portal
of insanity
someone as paranoid
as the black knight
of the night
the angel of death
the prince of sorrow
the king of maladies
the queen of deception
the princess of chaos

inside your heart kindles
love that drives them all away
the dogs stop barking
on your feet their tongues
lick you
on your side they yelp
the soul of their master
and then they sleep
and dream like you
the monsters of the night
are gone
as peace of the mind
now reigns
in the kingdom of the self
where privacy is king