[ Daylight darkens in sensuous dreams ]

Daylight darkens in sensuous dreams
Of rich gold and light, devoured underneath a shaky breath
The pitch black monstrosity that waits for my last inhalation
Breath in, just breathe in
Breathe out, just breathe out
And whatever they say, the laugh escapes me in the dusk of time
The whispers fade, disappointed

Do you understand?
Why do you fear?
It is only the sound of your last, final breath

Silence, and the pounding heartbeat
Trapped within the stillness, perfection, of my own suspended form
When all the chatter fades and echoing voices remain only in my own head
Until they too flicker out like dying leaves
In the autumn
Listen, just listen, I am waiting for the teardrops
To hear what I hear
Or see what I see

Do you understand?

Some soul to laugh, to cry with me
And whatever they say, the laugh escapes me
Why do you fear?

In the lonliness of my own demented shell
The death-pale shackles rattle around me, disappearing like whispers
Lies, the hissing of snakes
Hardest truth ramming like a rock
Into my body
They lift the veil and slither away
Once they realize that I am not afraid

Blood and spiders, I laugh
Lightning and the vastness of space
Darkening my imagination
With a smile

My dear, my dear
Why are you afraid?

In the warm embrace of daylight, loving arms, and bluest skies
A prison of golden tresses caressing my jawline,
Crystalline pools laced with long, dark eyelashes
Still, standing against the wall
Breath caught, lungs frantic, painful, desperate
Looking into the face of imagination, delusion
As real as the nightmare in a moment of time
Clutching at my brain, fingernails shredding my sanity
I gasp, choking, sobbing, lashing out at shadows
What darkens my dreams?  How far can I run?
When my eyes finally widen in a silent, agonizing scream...
Do you understand?

The face of horrors
Is my own