"afraid of nothing" by John Reinhart

afraid of nothing

John Reinhart

afraid of

nothing

    she says

which,

I wonder,

means

the nothing

at the bottom

of the pond

or in her

dreams

when

she wakes up

at night

    or

around the corner

or

    maybe

wrapped

in Papa’s

arms

she really is

afraid

    of nothing

Poet's Notes:  My youngest daughter occasionally wakes up to inform me that she's scared. She's not usually clear about what she's scared, just scared. That seems reasonable. I'm often frightened of things without a real discernable, articulate-able point (not reasonable to say everything)--nothing is as good an answer as any. So how does one comfort a four-and-a-half-year-old who is afraid of nothing?