Sanity sifting, lunar shifting Sleep coming in tides Waves of anger follow sudden Droughts of energy… and hope Each night exhausting Howling at the moon and stars For a few precious hours of peace The body feels paralyzed But the mind it runs, lost and afraid In the dark in circles Preyed on by shadows Praying for the coming sunrise That will bring only disdain The roar of the city, stampede of trains Scavengers and predators in packs The laughter, the screaming The phantoms in the dark A dream might make it better Or burn it for nightmare fuel The darkness within Never covers the eyes Only makes the night more sinister Surrounding, relentless All part of the punishment All in on the joke The hunters become the victims The weak cower and the strong… They watch silently in horror They, they’re coming… Too tired to face them Just roll over and lie still The aching bones, the guilty heart A mind of questions, an empty stomach No morning, no answers A lonely bed, filled with lumpy pillows Jagged springs, stuffy blankets Legs knotted and tangled Breath heavy, eyes hurting