The Stranger

The Stranger

Outside in the darkness howled the wild, wild storm.
Mum, Dad, Davie and I were having our supper, all cosy and warm.

A knock on the door;
Mum said “who could that be?”, as she got up to see.
“Just a bowl of soup,” I heard him say.
But when the stranger came in he came to stay.
Soon he was part of the family – anyone could see.
He’d help Mum in the kitchen; help Dad fix the roof,
Befriend little Davie, but to me he was aloof.

I couldn’t say why I felt just so,
About this stranger who wouldn’t go.
He was old and frail and looked weak.
But when he looked at me, strange, I could not speak.
His eyes were all sparkling, all lively and blue,
They tried to possess me, I swear it’s true.
They would try to pierce through me, to touch my soul,
I’d get all shivery and turn to go.

So he started on Davie, what could I do?
It was just a feeling I had you know.
They’d talk for hours, him, and this brother of mine,
They’d go for long walks, come back in the dark.
Mum thought their friendship was good and fine.
So I watched helpless as he took Davie away,
I could not fight this for what could I say?

Davie would talk to no-one else it seemed,
But with the old man, his face just beamed.
It happened so slowly, no-one noticed but me,
But Davie looked paler, seemed smaller now, you see.
His cheeks looked thinner, his legs were all knees,
Yet when he was with the stranger
His face would light up, he would be so pleased.

The strangest thing was, I just couldn’t understand,
The old man looked taller now, when I watched them hand in hand.
His shrivelled old face now had a pink glow,
He’s much younger now, I thought, I just know.
So as he grew stronger day by day,
It seemed Davie, my Davie, was wasting away.
I had my doubts, I questioned me,
There were times I wondered at my sanity.
It was just in my mind, for how could this be.

But the day came when I knew it was true,
It was a day I was feeling especially blue.
I came upon them in the woods,
They didn’t see me, so I hid where I could.
They were just standing there, side by side,
And from the stranger came and eerie blue light.
His hand was on Davie who was just standing still.
And where he touched him just one his head,
His hand was enlarged, all shaking, so unreal.
The sight of it filled me with dread.
I tried to run and I tried to yell.
But I could not run so I just stood still.
Then he saw me and turned his head,
His face looked like Davies, but it looked all dead.
Then the old man laughed and walked away,
He has never returned to this very day.
Davie just stood there his eyes far away,
I ran and caught him as he started to sway.
Mum screamed when she saw us coming her way,
Dad came from the field, he’d been stacking hay.
Together we lay him on his bed.
But he just stared, empty eyes full of dread.
He never spoke just one more time.
Oh, beloved brother of mine.
He just wandered about, slowly withered away,
His life was drained from him,
By the stranger who came to stay.
He lasted that winter, then quietly passed away.

When I look out my window on a dark and stormy night,
I see little blue eyes stare at me out of the dark,
And I pull close the curtain to shut out the sight,
I cry in my pillow with all my might.
For my dear little brother who so long ago died.