American dream?

It’s time for us all to wake!

…some from a sweet somnambulation,

a walking reverie. We speak words

that cut. Our eyes are closed

to our fellow night walkers

and those sounding the alarms.

 

Many are trapped

in a recurring night terror,

heart pounding, dark shadows,

desperately trying to wrest ourselves

from a drugged, thrashing sleep,

limbs flailing. We hurt ourselves.

We hurt our bedfellows.

We hurt the sleepwalkers

who tread casually upon us.

 

And some of us

cycle from sweet dream

to nightmare

and back again.

Or find ghouls

in our meadows,

burn witches

in our fairy tales.

 

Some of us become

the dark thing

that moves inside

another’s sleep.

 

This American dream.

Sleepers. Awake.

Sleepers awake.

Sleepers, awake!