Once Upon A Shadow, Deep Inside A Dream

Nightmares Arise 12-17-02

If I stand alone here I can't tell it is so dark,
I see only the blackness my soul portrays and casts.
I fell asleep listening to the calls of a meadowlark,
And awoke in a smothering blackness that forever lasts.
The silence presses down upon me, causing fear to come,
It's deafening, drowning out my own breathing, my own call,
I'm crying for help but no sound comes, I'm trying to run,
But my legs won't move, I can't feel anything at all.

If a light would shine upon my dream scape and show me where I lay,
And I could see the torture that awaits in the shadows and haze,
I could summon up enough courage to keep the demons at bay,
No light rises up to chase the night away, the heavy darkness stays.
I shiver and shake, the sweat dances down my spine,
In the eternal night surrounding me I feel the embrace of cold,
A heavy breathing breaks the silence but I fear it isn't mine,
Fear threads through my veins, grasping my heart with it's tight hold.

I scream and it echoes, reaching my ears and causing me pain,
I lash out with my hands and fists, hitting solid walls that won't give,
Am I dead? Is this a coffin in which I have lain?
No, it is much smaller and the pain I feel insists I still live.
I can't breathe, the space is closing in, stealing my air,
The darkness is getting blacker, thicker, consuming my form in itself,
"Help me! Help me!" I scream, but no one answers, not here,
I close my eyes, breathing shallow, fading away, losing myself.