By 1am I dread them,
As the world around me dreams,
The worries of the day consuming all of me it seems.

By 2am I sense them,
And the peace of sleep is lost,
What little respite given me is now too high a cost.

By 3am I hear them,
All the voices of the past,
Each whisper in the darkness of a life that could not last.

By 4am I feel them,
My dark mind their bitter cage,
They roar and scream within me as my panic fuels their rage.

By 5am I see them,
Every shadow that I’ve cast,
Now closing ranks around me though I hold my ground steadfast.

By 6am I face them,
As the world around me wakes,
Weakened but prepared to live no matter what it takes.