Poetry Corner – The Shark (a scary bedtime story for kids)

The Shark

by Cameron Brtnik

(a scary bedtime story for kids)


There once was a boy named Mark

And he was afraid of the dark

Every time that he tried to sleep

He imagined being chased by a shark



His mother tried to comfort her son

When he screamed her name out in the night

She told her poor boy to calm down

As he stared at the darkness with fright



Eventually he calmed down

As she gently put him back to bed

But as soon as Mark went back to dreaming

They once again filled him with dread



So his mom took him to see a doctor

She’d try anything at this point to help

Just at the mention of the word shark

Mark would jump in the air and he’d yelp



The doctor prescribed medication

That would cause Mark to have a deep sleep

She gave him two pills before bedtime

So instead of a shark he'd count sheep



The pills worked! Yes they worked like a charm

Mark finally slumped on his back

His mother was happy and went to her bed

While Mark in his dream was attacked



See those pills, well they put Mark to sleep

But they worked just a little too well
 
Poor Mark was still having his nightmare

It was like he was under a spell



In his dream he saw sharks in the water

Surrounding him, and he could feel

If he didn't wake up from this nightmare

He would be the shark's next toothsome meal



Pinching himself didn't work now

His body was limp as a worm

As much as he tried to snap out of his daze

Mark's body would barely just squirm



Mark prayed to God he would survive this

And somehow wake up from this 'mare

By try as he might try to struggle and fight

Nobody could hear poor Mark's prayer



The big shark attacked and it bit him

And the pain seemed as real as life

When his mother found him the kitchen

Mark was standing there holding a knife



But she couldn't seem to awake him
 
Then she suddenly started to scream
 
Cause to his mom's horror he fell to the floor
 
And Mark never woke up from his dream



The End....Sweet dreams!


PS. 


The Shark you ask? He still roams children’s nightmares

He lurks deep in the murky blue

He's always ready and waiting

For the next child that sleeps might be you!




Cameron is a poet, fiction writer and children's author, and is scared of swimming in the ocean to this day