The Perched Man

An eerie whisper once woke me in the dead of night, my bones covered in fear-drenched skin. "Psst.." There's a perched man outside your window, and you're about to let him in." The night breeze encroaching, slipping under my sheets, outside echoes, the branches break. Peering outside to moonlit shadows that tell me I've made a mistake. What was once outside is now in here, and what goes up, doesn't always come down. "Stay away from the mirror hanging on the wall, It's about to take your crown." Here, you'll pick flowers to watch them die. Where you once planted to watch them bloom. This place looks like home, but it's not the same, it feels like an impending doom. Your children will grow much faster here. You better keep track of time. You'll lose more things than you'll ever gain, looking back to keep your spine. You'll fall short of money, and lies will shadow the wall. Your tears will fall sharp to crystals so clear. Be wary of protecting the monsters you keep so others won't know they're here. While most birds take flight, some others are caged. It's such a dark place to be. Once upon a time, I knew this place. You see, the perched man was me!