Carie Juettner

He counts sheep.
He counts souls.
He squints at the shadow
in the corner, and it changes
from an innocent cloak rack
to a three-headed dog
to a gnarled tree
to a group of children
crying and reaching
for something behind him.

Death replays
the day’s conversations,
second-guessing even though
there are no other words
for what he had to say.
He gets up for a drink of water,
stands at the kitchen window
in just his shorts, runs his hand
along the edge of a pot of dirt
that used to hold a plant,
pours the rest of the water
down the sink.

Death gets back into bed,
pulls the covers over his gaunt frame,
tosses, turns. He brings his bony knees
up to his chest, hugs his pillow tight,
stares into the darkness
thinking about what he has to do
tomorrow.

Carie Juettner taught seventh grade for nineteen years before leaving the classroom to write full time. She is the author of five books in the Spooky America series for middle grade readers, and her poems and short fiction have appeared in publications such as Encore, The Twin Bill, Best Austin Poetry, and Daily Science Fiction. Carie lives in Richardson, Texas, with her husband and pets. You can follow her online at cariejuettner.com.