Insomnia

One lonely night, too eerie
Pitch black dark it was...
what was reality?

While waking, I lay reading
until exhausted, I lay down
A book... a harmless book...

And yet as blackness descends
so does unease also, and sleep...
to nightmares without waking

For in the darkness, time changes
the senses are inner, not outer
Awake.. or dreaming..
who can tell?

In darkness, there are pictures,
old jealousies arise.
When closed, the eyes see images
when opened, misty forms...

The book unnerves my inner eye,
and seems to collect there,
all evil things within this house,
and glows within the dark.

Yet with the light, all vanish
and still I cannot rest.
Yet sleep.. perhaps.. eventually
when inner senses still.

The animals, they know me,
and sleep beside me well.
And yet tonight, no sound..
No animal comes near.

When I leave, they come to me,
and beg me not to go..
Still I bring one with me,
panicked, he bites "Let GO!" ..
and runs yowling from the room.

Maybe it's not a nightmare,
perhaps my senses speak true.
With light there is safety,
with darkness, sleep... forevermore.