by Ernie McCray
Had a fright
in my sleep
the other night,
dreaming one of those dreams
where you’re
fighting for your life
but you can’t move
or scream
and suddenly you
spring to
an up position in your bed,
saying to yourself,
in relief,
“Oh, thank goodness
that was a dream.”
But I woke up
the next morning
in a reality
that’s nightmarish
beyond my
wildest dreams,
one, in which
a virus
has placed me
at a high risk of dying
and, as I look
for help,
there suddenly appears a menacing
unworldly looking
orange-faced demon on the scene,
standing and balancing
awkwardly with a forward lean,
misleading and spewing
racist views and misunderstandings,
lying about a little of everything:
ventilating machines,
non-existing vaccines,
downplaying the harm the virus can bring,
displaying leadership skills
best described as obscene…
and I scream loudly
into a valley
like a man drowning
at sea
with nobody to help
but a rescuer
with no arms
and no legs
who’s unable to
hear or see;
like the flame of a candle
flickering weakly,
struggling to stay lit
as an open window
lets in a strong breeze;
like a wide receiver standing alone
in the end zone
while the play caller
tries to run
a quarterback sneak;
Like a gambler
who has thrown snake-eyes
on a crap table,
seeing every penny he has ever earned
flowing away from him
like surf breaking
and evaporating on the beach…
But thank goodness night comes
and this horror
doesn’t deprive me of my sleep,
allowing me,
when I rise,
to realize
that I still can pursue my life’s dreams,
simple sweet dreams of
hugging my children
and grandchildren
and great-grand-children
and friends again,
hopefully soon someday.
Dreams
that help me live through
a real nightmare everyday.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
i suffer from the same nightmare and your poema lifts me from the depth of depression and i too Dream of Peace & Love.