When a little girl is fast asleep
a peculiar creature visits her room.
instead of hiding under her bed or
inside the closet
he inhabits the bookshelf.
he pulls out tales about
happily ever afters and friendly giants
and adventures with fairies and
counting stars.
he turns the crisp pages hungrily
with his silver-blue claws
as if he searches for something.
as the delicate light of a rising sun
peeks through the crack between the
curtain and windowsill
he seems to have found
what he is looking for
and he tears a page from a picture book
and quietly leaves
and the little girl awakens
not long after that,
puzzling over her dreams of
a friend she never knew