Is it to die or just to sleep?
Ah, sleep! With dreams?
There lies the dilemma.
When fairy tales nightmare to agony.
is it the soul that goads the conscience
into forgetfulness in some long balming dream;
or does it mean to soothe away
the stings of yesterday
then morph into an invitation
to some greater evil?
Hot anger turned icy cold..
Ah, yes, a grave cold I fear.
Sometimes I dream of him who listened
to my enemies and spurned me.
He holds me in his arms
and with all tenderness of kisses
murmurs of his stupidity.
“I loved you then; I love you still.”
Anguished whispers of regret.
But he is dead; I know that he is dead.
Am I working on some salve to cure despair
hovering still within my heart?
Or do I plan some scheme for a memory
that screams for pay back?
I was helpless then, and now it is too late.
I am too old, and he is just the gossemer of dreams.
And there is water, deep wells beneath
the floor boards of my house.
It floats on deepening swells.
How can that be?
Sometimes, there are brooks to wade in,
lakes to wonder at the glistening shimmer of sun,
of the peaceful glow of moonbeams
on placid glass.
There are rivers to ford but never reach the other side.
Strange that; the water never threatens me,
but seems to quell the fire.
Does the water tell me to scorn those
who burned the witch in some medieval stench?
Beyond the walls of sleep lie dreams
of gardens or snake pits of some awakened now.
I needs must leave my bed
and ponder my sleep’s messages.
Author notes
"To sleep, perchance to dream" Hamlet
A contest entry
- Beyond The Walls Of Sleep ~ PIF by nichtmich.
900 points, ended June 16, 9 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - On The Theme Of Sleep - PIF by pania.
900 points, ended July 1, 12 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
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Thjank you for this fine entry into my contest. A certain sense of deja vue here, as I had read this poem in the last contest, and loved it then. I like the images, and the allusion to the final sleep. I am intriuged by the water image, as sleep can sometimes feel like floating. I also like the comparison to /gardens or snake pits/, and the final line is wonderful.
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Excellent poem, blended in so many profound imagery and questions...I love your third stanza, it contains so much..there is such depth and pondering left...with this poem you place the mysteries of sleep where it belong...neither science can explain it. Very impressed and good luck in the contest
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Thought provoking and very deep. I love the image invoked by the medieval stench of a burning witch. The last two lines are universally understood. Extremely well done. Thank you for a mind boggling read.
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