The Tilley lamp and its dramatic hiss
Affected me like clocks do in the night
I crouched beneath the blankets in my fear
Red light from its centre pained my sight
Feverish, alone and still a child
I lay in darkness with no mother there
Tense as if to run when lions came
Pretending to be dead , that might deter.
I had a dream when they surrounded me
They spoke in human voices, she is dead
I froze into paralysis and fear
My heart was thumping like a lump of lead
Children’s fears destroy their peace of mind
To the young, we must at least be kind
How my heart sings 