#243 Subconscious Poem by Jimmie Arrington

I need some air, some oxygen,
Maybe a walk would clear my head.
It’s happened before, it’ll happen again,
As I wake to a dampened bed.

It seems like my subconscious knows
Much more than my consciousness does.
Each night my awful nightmare grows
More vivid than the last night’s was.

Lost in thought, I head to the lake,
Like I have many nights before.
Throughout the drive I still can’t shake
That dream that makes eyes sore.

There you are, so alive and well
And my whole world is full of peace.
I love your face, your hair, your smell,
You are God’s finest masterpiece.

Then all at once your smile fades
Into a look of shock and dread.
Your face changes to paler shades
And you collapse upon the bed.

Your breathing halts, your heartbeat stops
And your green eyes gradually close.
My eyes release a million drops
I hear screams. They’re mine, I suppose.

You’re gone, you’ve left me all alone
And fear makes my whole body shake.
For hours I hold you and moan
And that’s when I finally wake.

What could this haunting dream denote?
Why does it interrupt my sleep?
I ask these questions in my throat
But my answers seem weak and cheap.

So I walk around the night lake
With this aching in my chest,
Telling myself it’s all a mistake
And returning home would be best.

I drive back home with a cleansed mind,
Ready to start over brand new.
I undress, put my nightmare behind,
And I get back in bed with you.