Nightmares
I can't forget the time I spent
Putting out the fires
Though I try my best, I never do
No matter my desire
I go to sleep and try to think
Of nothing but my wife
But I lie in bed, and live again
The chaos of my life
My shoulder aches, and I return
To the night upon the ladder
Suddenly it slips, and I grab ahold
Of a lightpost I had straddled
From on the roof, four hands appear
Grab me by the arm
They pull me up and though I feel the pain
They keep me safe from harm
So I roll over and change positions
To try to continue sleeping
But now my knee begins to ache
And I picture myself creeping
As I crawl along a smoky corridor
I fall through a hole in the floor
As I begin to hurtle into the abyss
I’m not in control anymore
But just in time, a brother saves me
By lunging onto my knee
He keeps me from falling into the pit
And drags me up, I'm free
Once again I moan, and try to find
A comfortable spot on the bed
As I finally begin to drift asleep
I see visions in my head
I see a baby with her face chewed off
Another under a truck
A young man crushed in an elevator
Where he had gotten stuck
I picture a family dead on the stairs
Who had tied to get out
A baby pulled lifeless from his room
And I hear his mother shout
I wake up sweating, get out of bed
And pour myself a drink
Take some pills and wash them down
While standing by the sink
After a moment, the shaking subsides
And I'm ready to try again
As I pull the covers over my head
I try to shut down my brain
It works for awhile, but then I feel
A throbbing in my neck
And once again, I'm back in time
To a night I'd rather forget
Every night, it's always the same
As soon as I go to bed
It seems the pain I feel in my body
Triggers the pain in my head
Copyright © Tom Kenney | Year Posted 2021
Post Comments
Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.
Please
Login
to post a comment