A smile,
A laugh,
A kind word.

Like a candle
They cast light
In the caverns of my heart.

A warmth that quickly fades
As If it was never there
At all.

No one knows
Who I really am inside
Not even me.

Grasping at breath my soul clings to the air around me

Searching for purchase in the listless vapor

Hoping for rescue from the lighthouse on the shore

Drowning in the sea of useless metaphors

I long for the sweet release of sleep

Knowing the dangers of giving in  

I push through the quiet whispers, and roaring shouts  

I float, I sink, I rise to the top.  

Dead I walk.  

In step with the marching song of chaos.

Sleepless in a world of lullabies  

My mind dances and twirls in a ballet of ceaseless melodies

Never a rest, never a pause,

An onward trek to the end of destiny

I see an image of a man.
He looks tired and broken.
The scars of his past written on his face
His eyes scream,
Save me!
My hand reaches out in desperation.
The image shatters,
Leaving me alone,
With a broken mirror.

Lost,
  In the maze of my own excuses.
    Searching for peace,
      I find complacency.
    Too frightened to climb to freedom,
  I sit.
Safe in my familiar cage.

In the maze of sleeplessness,
  My soul searches for rest.
    I find no sign of escape
    Locked in a dreamless haze
  Peace forgotten,
Only stress.