3. The Smiling Man
(Villanelle)

"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream,"
   He keeps repeating to himself this way,
"A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams!"

Because as day succumbs to night, the stream
   Of thoughts that floods his mind grow worse:
'It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . .'

As day elapses into night, it seems
   The world transforms into a world perverse:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

And high above his head, the moon's great gleam
   Illuminates the haunted woods around him:
"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . ."

He follows close the wooded path; th' extremes
   Of friendly hope and dismal fear surround him:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

And lo! Ahead with windows all agleam,
   There stands a friendly house with burning hearth:
'It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . .'

Indeed, it's no mirage, as it first seems,
   And yet he could not shake his doubtful mirth:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

For in his mind he heeds the Brothers Grimm, *
   Hansel and Gretel's meeting with the witch:
'It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . .'

Perhaps there lives a crone of evil whims,
   Perhaps the stash of some successful snitch:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

Yet thinking of such thoughts so vile and grim
   Cannot find him a better place to stay in:
'It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . .'

And so he steps up to the house and skims
   The windows—burning hearth and bed to lay in:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

It is a comfort, this, to rest per diem **
   Within the cozy folds of soothing sheets:
"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream."

And so into the bedroom cabin, streams
   Of ghosts dissolve before his eyes—retreats:
"A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams."

And in retreating, ghosts begin to seem
   Less real upon the threshold of the door:
"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream."

He stands upon the threshold, thinking, deems
   The place all safe to sleep in: "Nevermore
"A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams."

He shuts the door behind in good esteem,
   Slips off his shoes and socks, so he can sleep:
"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream."

He knows, where naught but pleasant feeling teems
   Inside his head: "Indeed, I will not weep
"A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams."

And so all's well; he thinks the meme ***
   That haunts his thoughts is past forevermore:
"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream.

"No ghoul or ghost will haunt my dreams," he beams,
   Creeps in the sheets, repeating: "Nevermore
"A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams."

He drifts into the Land of Nod, agleam
   With many wonders strange and manifold:
'It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . .'

And here within the Land of Nod, he seems
   To tread through footless halls of drafty cold:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

He enters through a dark and spectral weem ****
   With sparkling streams on either side aglow:
'It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . .'

But in their glowing depth they hide, it seems,
   A thousand waiting creatures down below:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

And looking either way, the chthonic gleam *****
   Of light throws moving shadows 'gainst the walls:
'It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . .'

And yet the dream is now a nightmare, themes
   Of ghastly visions filling him with palls:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

He scurries off, running beside each stream,
   Along the middle path to God knows where:
'It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . .'

For in his heart and in his wits, he fleams ******
   Whatever hidden creature's coming near:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

And so he rushes, stopping short a scream
   That threatens to reveal himself a pray:
'It's all inside my head. It's just a dream . . .'

No sooner has he done so, down both streams
   The footfalls of some creature come his way:
'A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams . . .'

He stops and looks about, downstream, upstream,
   Repeating to himself his fearful creed:
"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream!"

He now recites in prayer the pendant rhemes, *******
   Gripping the pendant till his fingers bleed:
"A dream that stirs the mind won't end in screams!"

And so he prays, fighting the urge to fleam
   To God knows where within this tunnel cursed:
"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream!"

On trembling feet, he struggles on th' extremes
   Of fleaming by the streams upon the worst:
"A dream that stirs the mind won't end in screams!"

What's this? O'er there beyond the spectral gleam,
   What specter loiters there within his sight?
"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream."

It's just an ordinary man, it seems;
   By God, these shadows give him such a fright:
"A dream that stirs the mind won't end in screams."

But on a closer look, the man does seem
   A little odd, his face all in a smile:
"It's all inside my head. It's just a dream."

The Smiling Man, he says, as one who beams
   A vicious grin, so creepy, gaunt and vile:
"A dream that stirs the mind will end in screams!"

"By God, who are you?" says he. "What's your scheme?"
   The Smiling Man, still smiling, only says,
"It's all inside your head. It's just a dream . . ."

He says, "Your vicious smile's not what it seems.
   Again, who are you? Damn your vile displays!"
"A dream that stirs the mind will end in screams!"

The Smiling Man continues with his theme,
   Now walking forward with a hint of menace:
"It's all inside your head. It's just a dream . . ."

The Smiling Man approaches through the gleams,
   Repeating to the nth degree his premise:
"A dream that stirs the mind will end in screams!"

Our hero backs away, wanting to scream;
   But now he fleams the other way, repeating:
"It's all inside my head! It's just a dream!"

And while our hero fleams, the ghastly themes
   Of Smiling Man now echoes up, completing:
"A dream that stirs the mind will end in screams!"

And so the chase begins 'tween either stream
   Upon the middle path, the mouse and Cat:
"It's all inside your head. It's just a dream . . ."

Our hero 'gins to tire upon th' extremes
   Of fleaming for his life: "By God, what's that?"
"A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams!"

And to his horror, at the far extreme,
   A wall blocks up the path: "This cannot be!
It's all inside my head! It's just a dream!"

And dream it is, but proves the worst of dreams,
   A dream that shatters hopes and makes him pee:
"A dream that stirs the mind will end in screams!"

He turns around and sees the Smiling dream
   Increasing speed, approaching ever closer:
"It's all inside my head! It's just a dream!"

Such are his final words before he screams,
   As Smiling Man now shreds him . . . with the closer:
"A dream that stirs the mind will end in screams!"

So ends this heinous tale. It's bloody theme
   Evaporates upon the break of day:
"It's all inside your heads. It's just a dream,
A dream that stirs the mind and ends in screams!"

(To be continued...)

A/N: Written on April 2016. The word villanelle is French for "country song," which in its earliest form is more ballad-like than the current fixed form we see now. For this piece, I took a few liberties with the rhyme scheme to help lengthen it for the purposes of narration.

* Brothers Grimm = (n.) Jacob Ludwig Carl Grimm (1785–1863) & Wilhelm Carl Grimm (1786–1859), German mythologists.
** Per Diem = (adv.) Latin: every day.
*** Meme = (n.) imitation.
**** Weem = (n.) Scottish Gaelic: cave.
***** Chthonic = (adj.) of the underworld.
****** Fleam = (v.) Old English: to flee.
******* Rheme = (n.) Greek: sacred word of protection.