The Thrill of Fear

Wrinkled face and brittle bones,
Weakened joints and kidney stones.
In the mirror, this is what I see,
What happened to my youth, a mystery.

Once I was dangerous and lived an exciting life,
But that was before two children and a wife.
I would risk life and limb for adventure’s sake,
The thrill of fear made me feel awake.

I would climb tall mountains and swim in dark rivers,
Because the thrill of fear always delivers.
But that life is long gone, and now I am old,
Not enough energy, time or strength to be bold.

As I look in the mirror one last time,
I realize that I’m well beyond “past my prime.”
I turn away, longing for my past,
Wishing my thrill seeking days would just awhile longer last.

As I lower my head, something catches my eye,
A dreadful, horrific spider crawling up my thigh!
There is nothing in the world that terrifies in such a way,
Than those 8 legged beasts who seek me as prey.

I cry out in fear, and I begin to sweat,
I swat it dead, it’s no longer a threat.
I pant heavy, for it was a close call,
God, I hate spiders, I hate them all.

As my body shakes from the adrenaline rush,
I begin to chuckle and feel myself blush.
The feeling I felt was a feeling of fears,
That I have not felt in so many years.

The thrill of terror was something I missed,
I stood there laughing as I reminisced.
A spider hadn’t crawled on my body since I was ten,
And if only for a moment, I felt young again.