In The Middle Of The Night

I was always afraid of them, secretly.
Repelled but attracted as well.
I remember the first time I picked up a baby,
and the mix of terror and joy, the feel of power.
I used to wish I was adopted,
but I have a family, somewhere.
Once I remember where, I will go home.
The bleeding will stop.
Fear is not just in the mind,
it strikes the heart, the hands, and the gut.
This poem is about someone else
but it could be me- or you-
or anyone
whos heart is beating faster
at a sound in the night.