Night

Here I am once again, late at night
wide awake, alone, scared
I shiver with the memory
of the place where I have been
a place full of fear and pain and misery
I think back on a time when
sleep was good and sleep was reviving
and now sleep is something to be avoided
at all costs
he is there waiting
and his friends are all there too
a multitude of horrors waiting for me to
turn off the lights
close my eyes
slip into their net
and let them have their way with me
again
again
again
no! never again
I turn the light back on
tears welling up, spilling out
cold sweat trembling
moaning
how can I survive this endless night
and the next one and the next one
so many nights
can I stay awake through them all?
No, that would certainly be
impossible
or at the very least it would be
like a living death
where I can never rest
never again know the bliss
of sweet, sweet wonderful sleep