Preview edition — Poet in Wonderland is still in progress. The poem is as it appears in the video; the commentary is a working draft.
The night was still, the silence deep
The creatures stirred from its shadowy sleep
Of the songs of birds and chirps of insects, seen
but there was one disturbing scene
of a creature unseen
Whatever it was, it can be daring
Or of something rare and unsparing
With hidden claws that crawls,
it can print and sprint through tents, easily
My heart spiked, with dread
but facing the unknown, had me to lead
Courage took root,
And I grabbed my torch, my only loot
The beam switched so bright in the dark
whatever out there it spun,
Revealing not a monster, no harm done
For there, in the glow, stood not a beast,
But thorned branches and leaves, the fear had ceased
The mind plays tricks when you're alone,
Turning the forest into a danger zone
I laughed, spirit-soared to the unknown fought
For I had conquered what I abhorred
The lesson learned, as dawn did break
that fear can be oft and be a mistake
So when you camp in the woods so vast
and things seemed not to hold fast
Remember solo journeys can test your bearing,
But oftentimes, it can be daring
Poet in Wonderland · Hear it on the channel ↗
Commentary
This camp-out poem starts with a scare and ends with a laugh. A night sound, a torch and a little courage turn a monster into a bramble, and the poem closes with advice for anyone sleeping in the woods alone.
“The night was still, the silence deep” when “the creatures stirred,” but among the songs of birds and chirps of insects the speaker senses “a creature unseen.” Whatever it is, “it can be daring,” with “hidden claws” that “print and sprint through tents.”
The speaker’s “heart spiked, with dread,” yet “Courage took root” and the torch comes out, “my only loot.” The beam shows “not a monster, no harm done,” only “thorned branches and leaves,” and the fear stops.
The lesson comes with dawn: “The mind plays tricks when you’re alone,” “Turning the forest into a danger zone.” The speaker laughs, having “conquered what I abhorred,” and ends by telling campers that “solo journeys can test your bearing” but “oftentimes, it can be daring.”