Behind the fence, where none could see
Lived two dogs that frightened me;
They’d growl and bark when I walked by,
I’d hurry passed and often cried,
I knew these beasts could cause me harm,
Bite my legs or chew my arms;
I told my mother and she said,
“Oh, it’s all inside your head!”
But every day those unseen beasts
growled and wanted me to feast;
My fears just grew until I found
that I was frozen to the ground
one day as I stood before the fence,
My body shook, my brain was tense–
Just then the gate was opened up
by a woman with two pups
right at her heels; they romped and played
While I stared, still quite afraid;
“Where are the big ones?” I asked in fear,
And she replied, “There’s only these two pups,
my dear”
I found that I could barely speak;
It didn’t seem to make much sense–
What was it that had scared me so
that hid unseen behind the fence?
Sandra Lee Smith
originally Posted June 7, 2009
Updated July 31, 2018