when I was 5

and I would crawl under my bed

and breathe softly

into the dark

cramped dusty space

until I fell asleep

it was nice

everything confined to that space

and nothing existed

outside of it for a moment

I felt safe and happy

and undisturbed

until I awoke to my mother

calling my name

I saw the light switched on

her feet on the carpet

I would wait until

she turned and walked away

to crawl out into the world again