Sleep

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub

Hamlet, William Shakespeare

When I sleep I need to feel safe.

I have nightmares; big scary monsters.

So I have company.

On my left lies my black and tan pup,

and my right is the place for my orange kitten.

I am in the middle with a soft light on my face.

Around me the house moans it’s nightly aches,

she is over a hundred,

her rafters creak and she settles, sighing.

In my mind I see things crawl up the stairs.

People stand in the black and look down,

inches from my face.

Beside me the cat leaves, intent on mice.

I feel his leaving and toss in the bed

imagining him running from my monsters.

I see him broken.

He is fine, just a nightmare.

They don’t stop, overlapping and building.

I battle hidden things and darkness,

not the hero but the hapless victim.

Neither animal are my saviour,

instead that comes from a warmth.

A splash of light across my face

from the open curtains.

The cry of the cockeral and the song of a blackbird.

Then I settle. The night is over.

No more monsters.

The battle is done, not won but a draw.

My imagination sleeps.

This post was inspired by the daily prompt – mr. sandman.

The picture is from themetapicture.com.