Night Terrors

I swallow it down,

a paralyzing potion,

an elixir of exhaustion.

Insomnia disappears

And I sleep.

Only to sweat,

Heart pounding,

In the dark.

Then it creeps in,

That haunting shadow.

It comes at night to feed

on my dreams.

I wake to a reality

Unknown. Alone.

I reach beside me

To touch an empty space.

The sheets have gone cold

And I am frightened.

Did the shadow steal my dreams?

The tranquil what-ifs of my slumber,

Replaced by terrorizing and taunting darkness.

A swinging pendulum,

Hypnotizing me to stay,

Trapped behind my eyelids.

I am afraid.

I am not alone when I close my eyes.

I am alone when I wake.