Keep me from dreaming,

the vision is too much to handle

and I am afraid

of the tears that stain my face

and collect like man-made marbles,

pretty spherical toys that crush

like glass underfoot

the moment I am conscious

and caught staring

into the dazzling day, the moment I exist for real.

Let me sleep if I must

but do not let me dream, do not

let the vivid nature of these spectres

feel free to roam anymore,

for they are ghoulish

and full of temptation, they are

the persuasion that life could be better.

Ian D. Hall 2016