Image from the book "FLUSI, the Sock Monster"  
by Bine Brändle, available at www.everyonepoops.com    


Uninvited Guest

In the dark,
when everyone is sleeping,
he prowls beneath the moon.

No one has ever seen him,
but everybody has one lurking
in the corners; under the bed,
blending in, not to be seen. 

He breezes through the house
so quiet, no one hears him,
though sometimes when you hear
that bump in the night
— it might be him.

Sporty, dressy, casual chic,
it’s all the same to him,
but new is best, and you can bet
if it’s your favourite, 
it’ll be his favourite too!

He’s a connoisseur 
and he likes the best of the best,
but in a pinch, anything will do  
— he has a family to feed, after all.

He’s the sock monster,
waiting in the shadows,
snagging any socks that fall
outside the protection of the herd. 
Watch out — the ones you like the best
just might be next!


october 2005
Janet Reid