What are dreams

That wake you

In the middle

Of the night

 

Maniacal intrusions of a troubled mind

 

The kind that

Transport you from

Meandering rivers of bliss to downright terror

Until you drown

 

Electrocuted bolts of altered reality

 

The kind that

Cause you to

Dig your fingernails into the palms of your hands

Until they bleed

 

Interrupted lifeline of desiccated half moons

 

The kind that

Steal your breath

Silencing  screams in the back of your throat

Until they cease

 

Assassinated witness of that not quite experienced

 

When you can

Feel a presence

Blurring the line between reality and reverie

Until they meld

 

Macabre landscapes of subconscious fears

 

When you can

Shake your head

Clearing visions of distorted truths

Until they fade

 

Haunting flashes of what may be

 

When you can

See those images

Playing in your head over and over again

Until they discombobulate

 

Ensconced cache of future visions

 

Dreams that

Wake you

In the middle

Of the night

 

Unwelcomed thief of peaceful respite

 

Just a nightmare

Probably nothing

Still prevents me

From going back to sleep