Pillow talk

After we turn the lights out at bedtime Uta always feels scared. Its not that he's scared of the dark, there's plenty of light pooling in from the street, glow in the dark stars on the ceiling, a bright crack of light coming in from under the living room door. Its more like in the darkness his fears get loud. He lists things that scare him, mostly to do with school, bossy friends and pressure from his teacher. After he is reassured about these things he shifts his worries to the more mythical: monsters, dragons, dinosaurs. He's desperately trying to make sense of what's real, what's not, what's made up, what's extinct. There's a lot of sorting to do when you're five. Here are a few things he was wondering tonight before he finally called it a day.

Do astronauts wear underwear? Does aluminum foil have any special powers? Can I have a motorcycle?