The day goes dim and the night sips in.
Majestically, It crawls in flaunting its sharp claws
grinning and giggling like the monster in my dreams.
Oh no, not night again.
The shadows bend,
the crickets cry and my breath struggles.
I slide under the sheets shivering and quavering;
holding onto my pillow.
My heart beats louder in ponder to the question,
‘How soon shall the cock crow?’
Indeed, the night is not for the fainthearted.
My teacher use to say,
God made the night time for rest and sleep.
But either of them is lying, my teacher or God.
Because obviously,
My night is a nightmare that haunts till day break.
It is the time when all my demons play fetch.
I sleep in clothes and wake bare and bruised.
God couldn’t be the maker of the night
…or is my night different?
Who makes my night?
This night, I’ll have to face my night,
I have to speak with my night maker.
I will ask this demon just one question,
and so I skip my night pill.
At the prime of the night like my every other night,
the room feels colder.
The shadow draws closer and
pulls me into its cold gruesome grip.
It raises me up, turns me over
and presses me against the bed.
I lay helpless and choking,
I can’t let a cry, I can’t raise a brow.
Oh, what an interesting conversation,
I must have fallen asleep again.
This must be another nightmare.
Now, I feel my dress betraying me
and my pillow finding its way.
The shadow’s firm hands remain glued to my head
and the other hand rub about my back.
Hmm…this dream must be different,
I haven’t gotten this much detail in the past years.
Swiftly, here comes a swoop of pain with multiple jerks.
I recognise this pain,
the pain that lingers till daybreak.
I recognise this shadow.
It looks like someone I call “father”.
His lazy moans give it up.
Oh, this conversation is more than I can bear.
My question has answered itself.
I wish it were a dream,
I hope the cock crows soon.
What do you think?