The Monster In My Room

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By Sarah Claire Ryan

There’s a monster lurking in my room. 
I can’t bear to turn around. 
Just there…in the corner of my eye. 
I mustn’t make a sound. 

There’s a monster prowling in my room,
That I’m trying to ignore. 
But it takes up so much space. 
Creeping up to roof from floor. 

There’s a monster biting in my room. 
I wish someone could save me. 
But it also lurks inside their house,
If only they could see. 

Maybe if I just don’t look,
The monster will leave me. 
Someone else can deal with him,
And I can run and flee. 

I feel the monster moving now, 
Heading for my babies’ rooms. 
I promised them I’d keep them safe – 
Yet here the danger looms. 

And whilst our generation may escape 
The monster’s full attack. 
Our children will most certainly
End up taking all the flak. 

There is only one way to defeat
The monster that waits there. 
We have to look it in the eye
And show how much we care. 

Accept that we have put him there
And through our actions made him grow. 
We have to grieve and shed the tears – 
Let those healing waters flow. 

Then when all the tears are done –
And there will be a few – 
We’ll roll up our sleeves and face this mess
The way that humans do. 

Together arm-in-arm we stand
Against that monster grim. 
With kindness, love and empathy
We can challenge him. 

And when we stop to really look
At the darkness up above,
We’ll see there’s no monster after all. 
Just a world in desperate need of love.


Sarah Ryan: “Sarah is a writer and environmentalist living in the heart of Bedfordshire with her husband Sean and two young boys, James and Thomas. Having worked as a lawyer for many years, her passion lies in simplifying things that seem complicated, whether that be language used in a legal document, or a global issue that overwhelms us into paralysis. In her Earth Warrior community, Sarah creates a safe space for those who feel helpless in the face of climate grief to help them galvanise their fears into meaningful action.

Sarah delights in all things magical, from the cheeky sparkle in her children’s eyes, to the unfolding wings of a newly awakened butterfly. With her writing, she hopes to inspire others to connect with the nature around and inside all of us. Because when we connect, we awaken. And when we awaken, we heal ourselves and the Earth. To find out more, please visit: www.sarahclaireryan.com.

4 thoughts on “The Monster In My Room

  1. I suppose it is necessary that the monster be a “he/him”
    My original intention in posting was wondering why it could not be a “they/them,” acknowledging the suffering of patriarchy while at the same time longing for a gender-neutralized adversary.
    The world will be so different, so better, if more power were in the hands of responsible female leaders (as well as more responsible male leaders too!)

    Thank you for writing this poem.
    This monster would be a multiple-headed one in my imagination, like the hydra…

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