The Sleep of Sleeplessness

Dangle wishes, if you will
But shall avail so much less.
Push for a revolution, if you please
But luck shall elude your fantasies.
Play the game called fate;
And sore shall your eyes be.


This is not a puzzle, as is fond of me
But a straight expression of truth,
That to my pleasure I will share
To all who wish to be indulgent.


For the moon did caress my thoughts
And made me eyes wane.
So did night creatures, big and small
Convince me to be of little care
And put my trust in the comfort of my bed
So that sleep could rob me
Taking me to the land where nothing physical has ever tread.



I released my hold on realism
And sunk into the deep depths of the cosmos
Carried away by streams of white streaks
And reds, swirling with blues and greens
Until the land of dreamers approached my feet.
I danced, I pranced, a fate I have chanced,
To be gleeful, to be weightless,

Until disaster struck!!!!


It tugged at my soul with such ferocity.
The force greater than a landing jumbo-jet.
It ceased my breath and pinned me down;
I was all but cornered,
I could now see my soul rising out my flesh,
It was parting without a goodbye,
And the terror thereof made me freeze
Willing to battle for my soul.


My innards writhed, squirm, and did feel clamped.
It jumped out, tearing my hopes apart,
Leaving me breathless and utterly fearful.
I feared I was dying, for I could see the darkness,
Darker than any that ever be, or shall ever be
And I threatened to swallow me whole,
Swallow my liveliness, and snuff out my existence.


So sleep coerced me to death.
Sleep bid me a swift farewell
And hide me under some boughs of that age-burdened tree.
But I fought and fled and did run
For I feared fear until fear feared me.
I slept, but almost unto sleeplessness.

Nyame Nipa "The Word maker" ( Ghana )