I heard a sound by my bedside last night

I heard a sound by my bedside last night,

I heard a strange sound; I got such a fright.

As something passed by me deep in the night,

I heard a faint sound; did it want my poor life?

**********

I made not a sound; I was still, in such fright,

As I lay in bed in the deep of the night,

I could hear it close by, how I longed for the light.

What was the dark thing probing the night?

**********

An evil black form, a shadowy sight,

Began to rise slowly in front of my eyes.

As I lay in bed on my left-hand side,

The dark, wicked thing rose slowly into sight.

**********

I could move not a muscle; I was frozen in fright,

As the dark frightful vision continued in height,

Till it’s malevolent eyes were almost in sight.

Only then did I close mine, despite the dark night.

**********

I knew it was wicked, evil personified,

That he wanted my sight, the light of my life.

I closed my eyes; shut them tight as the night.

Evading the Grim Reaper’s deathly cold scythe.

**********

Finally, eventually, when I opened my eyes,

I thought it was gone, departed my side,

But it was still there, though lower this time,

Starting beginning to rise over again.

**********

How could I be free from the terrible beast,

That wanted my soul, my heart and my peace?

Perhaps, if I kept my eyes firmly closed,

It might give up and leave me alone.

**********

So I closed my eyes, though still in such fright,

And I prayed that I’d last out the night.

Although its Dark Presence was close to my brow,

I kept my eyes shut so it wouldn’t bother me now.

**********

The Darkness and danger passed from me that night,

It vanished, departed, left my bedside.

I rolled over, so comfy, lulled back into nod,

Till the next time it happened it was just me and my God.

A note: This really did happen to me   – and on more than one occasion – when I was six or seven years of ago many years ago.