Tedious Monster
Kathie-Louise Clarke
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What waits under the bed for you to-night?
a ligature tied tight, or a claw’ed hand
that tedious monster positioned to fright
little children fearful of the dark-ness
dread night’s yearn-ing to bury them in sand
while adults seek un-lit rooms of dark’s caress
where nocturne is a serenade to night
humanity resists shadows that could command
thoughts despite what they might excite in us.
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Kathie-Louise Clarke dressed as an artist.
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Kathie-Louise Clarke is a British raised writer and artist, living in Oakland, California. She is inspired to create pieces that interrogate and illuminate the human condition, with a focus on love, loss, and the beauty of the natural world.
She has poems published in Mindful (Jan/Feb 2022); Seaside Gothic Vol 2 (July 2022); Vol 5 (January 2023) and The Orchards Poetry Journal (forthcoming 2024). She also regularly teaches and presents her fine art and relief prints throughout the Bay Area.
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To learn more about submitting your work to Boudin or applying to McNeese State University’s Creative Writing MFA program, please visit Submissions for details.
Posted in "Boo"din: Creature Feature, Oct '24 and tagged in #boudin