Home » Poems » Thomas Wells » Opaque Sleepers

Opaque Sleepers

Drowning in our incubus sleep, phantom enemies are devised. Easy answers for night terrors. Social purgatory for the stranger, Our river Styx for the brown ones. Our fortress must wall them out. Brown poverty is culpable. Starving families must be criminals. Racialism winking and nodding. Jingoism sneering and taunting. Everyone knows the words. ICE round up the suspects. Our delirious sorcery making police raids. For us wall builders, it is always midnight. For us distracted, there is never safety. We are detainees of our nightmare, POWs of our wraiths. The smeared tirades offer glaucoma. The duplicitous liars supply our slumber. The scapegoating harangues support our night blindness. Yet, we always awaken sweating in our witless twisted sheets.

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem.

Please Login to post a comment

Brian Sambourne

Date: 4/1/2023 7:29:00 PM

"For us wall builders it is always midnight" - so true, Thomas. The privileged + well off are jailed by their own "I'm ok Jack" views that filter out others. I am guilty of this walled vision myself. A terrific write that pokes its insights like a rod. Be well. Brian

Thomas Wells
Date: 4/3/2023 2:16:00 AM

I am guilty of being trapped by my fears or I would not be able to call them out in others. I see below that others have left comments about this poem that I never noticed before. Thank you. Your comments are always insightful. Take care, Thomas

Anil Deo

Date: 5/6/2020 9:27:00 AM

Thomas, we would not have needed religion had America lived out it's Manifest Destiny from Mayflower Compact to Penn's Constitution for Pennsylvania in 1660s (100 years before 1776, he talked of unity among the countries in "USA" & for a UNITED Nations. Lincoln was our last best shot, FDR tinkered while anti-communism would blacken the New Deal for USA ever afterwards//breaks my heart "Puritans, Pilgrims, & Quakers tried, & failed to teach us the Jesus mode of servant leadership. I hope ....

Thomas Wells
Date: 4/3/2023 2:23:00 AM

Anil, I think you've managed to capture the entire history of the United States in less than 400 words. I am very pleased that the poem has been so thought-provoking for you. Thank you for stopping by and reading it! Be well, Thomas

Caren Krutsinger

Date: 5/6/2020 5:58:00 AM

Wow Thomas! "We are detainees of our nightmare, POWs of our wraiths. " WOW!

Thomas Wells
Date: 4/3/2023 2:26:00 AM

Sorry for such a late reply! Thank you for your comments and reflections on the poem. Take care, Thomas.