Do Not Fear — Summary

Jamie LurayInspired

Do Not Fear, For I am right here. Darkness may seem close, But the light shines brighter. Evil may have lived. But it no longer has stuff to give. Stay true to your heart. Stay here where you belong. Do not fear, For I am right here. The monster is gone. Along with the flight. No longer here to string you along. And no longer to give you such a freight. No more will he take given life. No more will he take the happy and cheer. Do not fear, For I am right here. Quiet child, No need for the fight. For you are finally safe and sound. Stay here, for day is light. Feel free to do as you please. Feel free to enjoy the breeze. Do not fear, For I am right here. Let your strings of hair, Flow backwards with the wind. Let me see your pretty smile, Let me see your glistening eyes, As they capture the moment. Even just for a second or two. Do not fear, For I am right here. Before the day is done, And the children come in from fun, And you start to feel tired. Lean your ear in and Freeze. For a moment or so And remember this phrase- I love you, my dear. And please do not fear, For, after all, I am right here.

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Spoken like a lullaby, the poem is a reassurance from one voice to a frightened child. The refrain "Do not fear, for I am right here" comes back again and again, and its repetition does the work of a soothing hand: the speaker says the same calm words until they sink in. The "monster" is described as gone, and the speaker insists that light is stronger than darkness. We aren't told who the monster is or what he did, only that he can no longer take "given life" or hurt the child. The poem leaves that danger vague, and the judging-by-the-text feeling is that the child has been through something frightening.

Now the speaker wants the child to enjoy ordinary things: the breeze, hair blowing in the wind, a smile, bright eyes. The ending is tender. The speaker asks the child to pause, listen, and remember "I love you, my dear." The mood is warm, protective, and quietly hopeful, with a simple rhyme and plain wording that suit its comforting purpose.

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