Backyard Silhouette

I am not the Slender Man.
Or the Pale Man,
Or the Tall Man
I am not a Wendigo
Or the Chupacabra.
I am the one you ignore on the streets.
The one you will never see coming.
The crooked old woman trudging behind you down a narrow alley.
The smudged girl playing hopscotch on a darkened sidewalk.
The watcher in your backyard, peeping through a window.
A champion for those you damaged.
The Sleek Shadow you should fear.
The Silhouette.
My reach is far, my fingers long.
I am coming for you.
Look behind you.
Or over your shoulder.
Or in your backyard.
And be afraid.

Lisa H. Owens
Picture of Lisa in her backyard at night
June, 2022

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