This poem is for anyone who feels unsafe walking alone at night or conjures shadows in the absence of light.

Someone’s walking behind me.
Their footsteps ring in my ears,

echoing all my doubts and fears.
I continue walking, occasionally

turning my head, finding no one there.
There are others around but the dread remains.

My feet wade through a puddle but
the only reflection is my own.

With my front door in sight,
I realize that the footsteps were my own.

Process

This piece is based on my own experience and draws on some of the fears that come with walking alone at night as a woman. Paranoia is something that can be irrational, which is difficult to navigate. By writing this poem, I hope that readers know that they are not alone in this fear.