As soon as ‘nasties’ go away

What lingers after spooky season comes to a close, what might still be lurking in the shadows’ -   Write a story that includes the line ‘I can’t sleep’

    As soon as, ‘nasties’, have gone away.

‘Out they come every year’, but I didn’t like that time,

 with ghostly costumes and scary masks, it’s like a scary pantomime!

 I’ll endure it each year, but it’s never had any appeal to me,

 especially because, we were living opposite a cemetery!

 I always saw the silhouettes of gravestones, and big monuments from 

 Victorian times, 

 and many people had ghostly tales, of those who died committing evil 

 crimes!

 I’ve always disliked the colour black, and that deep darkness can disturb your mind,

 because evil things can happen in the dark, and some things are quite unkind!

“I can’t sleep’ Mummy, my mind just doesn’t feel right,

 there’s Monsters and Witches stuck in my head tonight,

 I’m sure they’re in the wardrobe, or they might be under the bed, 

 but I can’t sleep, with those nasty thoughts inside my head”!

“I don’t like the dark Mummy, and I can’t sleep without some light,

 and I’m sure that I saw a pair of eyes in the corner tonight; 

“Don’t worry”, said Mummy, it might be Santa’s little elves,

 who are spying for Santa, for the gifts he needs upon his shelves”!  

“When you close your eyes, just think about the colours red, gold and green,

  and then think about a Christmas tree, that will eventually be seen”!

“You can help to make it sparkle, with glistening decorations, and of course the star,

  now go to sleep my darling, because Santa’s little elves will soon come from ‘afar’!

  “I can’t sleep, and my mind ‘just doesn’t feel right”,

“And I don’t know wether to be happy, or very frightened tonight”,

“I’m still frightened by those monsters, who knocked upon the door,

 with all of that blood, and the horrible clothes they wore”.

“I’m seeing movements in the shadows, please tell me what they are”,    

“They’ll be Santa’s little elves”, said mummy, “and they’re spying from afar”,

  ‘I’d better be good, especially if I’m being watched’, she thought,

  ‘because I don’t want them to give Santa a really bad report’!

 “But what if they’re evil eyes, and they’re thinking of nasty things to do”,

 “That possibly won’t be good for either me, or you “,

  “I don’t like the dark, and I get nasty thoughts inside my head”,

  “I like lights’ on, teddy bears, and colourful things instead”!

   Those little elves take notes, when they’re spying in the dark,

    and Mummy said ‘I must be good, and never make a bad remark’,

    so, those movements in the shadows, have got a pair of spying eyes,

    and so on Christmas Day, I might get a nice surprise-

     when Christmas Crackers ‘snap’ loudly, and party poppers fill the air,

    with loud noises, before strands of coloured paper go everywhere!

   “Mmmm….coloured paper in your gravy, or coloured paper in your drink, 

     and there’s coloured paper in your hair at night, when you’re standing at the sink”!

   “But, I still can’t sleep Mummy, with thoughts of witches still flying about,

    and there’s probably still monsters in the wardrobe, waiting to jump out”? 

   “I almost get to sleep, and then I hear a bang,

     and I’m told that it was “just a firework, that was thrown by a silly man”!

      But, I’ll try to forget bad thoughts, and think of elves, and happier times,

    when Father Christmas will be here, along with those merry chimes,  

  “But, I can’t sleep Mummy, and I don’t know what to do,

    because I’m not allowed to stay up late, like the both of you”!

       Mummy bought me a new duvet and pillow, and I hoped that would be a cure,

     but unfortunately it wasn’t, and it’s just the same as before”!

     I had my ‘bedtime story’, but my mind has gone elsewhere,

     and I’m sure I saw a movement in the darkness over there”!

       ‘Are those little elves in here, putting up a Christmas tree, 

     so I’ll have little lights on, and no more darkness for me!

    “I like the Christmas time, when everything is bright,

     and my bedroom’s never dark, and I settle down alright”.

       Perhaps I do need a new mattress, because this one’s getting old,

     and it’s actually a survivor from World War Two “I am told”! 

     My pillow’s very lumpy, ‘in fact’, it’s like a bag of stones,

     and the pains in my head and neck, just add to my aching bones!

      ‘I can’t sleep’, no matter how I try, or what I do,

     so I’ll play quietly in the dark, in hope of not disturbing you?

     If Santa is watching, then I’m sure he’ll understand,

     that I’m still frightened by those monsters, who scare me on this land!

       The scenes of black with witches, will eventually disappear,

     because the green of Elves, and the red of Santa, will soon be here, 

     The shadows in the dark, always puts questions inside your head,

    “There’s probably mischief in the dark, so I’ll stay in the light instead”!

      “I can’t sleep”, because the darkness can be unkind,

     and it can expose a weakness, in your tired mind,

     the images you see, can give you a disturbing night,

    “but Christmas is coming soon, and it will be alright”!

      But, what really happens in the shadows, after the children have gone to bed,

      Is there only ‘murder and treachery’ going-on inside your head?

     Whatever does go on in the dark’, is mostly ‘down to you’,

      because our imagination’s can exaggerate the truth, which is what they like to do!

      The dark can encourage evil thoughts, and it’s always a negative sight,

     because, bad things mostly happen in the black of night!

     BUT, you must learn from the past, before that moment goes away,

     and always look forward, to the joys of Christmas Day!

“I do hope you can sleep, and I think all ‘nasties’ have gone from here,

and I’ll check outside your window to see if anyone else comes near” -

“You’re okay, there’s no firework displays, and there’s nobody around,

so go to sleep my darling, and hopefully you shall sleep ‘sound’?

Mummy was creeping outside the room, when she heard another noise,

“please tell me that my little girl, isn’t playing with her toys”?

Thankfully she wasn’t, and story time was required no more,

because her daughter was fast asleep, and she could hear her snore!