Photo Credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Renaissance Tapestries

Some Fear Sleep

Devils play to disquiet the mind
with hexichord lyres and gypsy violins
nefarious visions ascend in halide

licks of melody bent by pain.
Splendid twilight alights with a shear
to cut the chords of conscious

fear, to snap infernal chains
intertwined
into rondeaux rosettes of doom.

Nefarious visions ascend in halide;
on my bed engrams pluck the eye,
devils illuminate each step through

clouds of dust fomented by pitched
hours to snap infernal chains
intertwined like accordion formed

two headed paper dolls deal out
afflictions born by all and drape
quiet cornices into Ash Wednesday;

devils come forth upon every step
within the Gethsemane of this
slaughterhouse.

Some fear sleep will steal their
breath as if it were a house cat
on an infant's chest,

to deal out afflictions born by all
with the logic of compunction's night
bayonet.

Some fear tomorrow on each midnight
slept but they explain away irrational
fears. Some fear sleep will steal

their breath;
I fear my breath will steal my sleep.
As splendid twilight alights with a shear

bejeweled in zodiacs and light years
some fear tomorrow on each midnight slept.
Nefarious visions ascend in halide

mummeries convivial along pathways
to morning;
as devils play a glorious noise
to disquiet the mind.

Marc Awodey

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