The poems in this collection, for the most part, result from nightmares that continue to plague me, for I am a coward at heart. I still fear the dark, hear noises in the night, run from shadows, or simply hide under the covers, hoping that someone will save me, or that the light will return and dispel the creatures lurking in my night. This collection is best read with the lights on bright, unless one is of sterner stuff than the author. Many of the poems commemorate one of my favorite holidays, Halloween, a celebration of all the things that scare us; other poems recognize the wonder of nature and its incredible creatures, and how pleasant it is to sit and contemplate them, while others emanate from observation of people and events. At the center of this collection is a series of Science Fiction poems, telling the tragic tale of Simly & Lorella, set at some time in the future, an old story in a new light. This particular tale was inspired by my daily walks around our suburban neighborhood, reading 'the writing on the wall,' so to speak.