THE NIGHT

The soft respite of slumber,
The blanket of the dark,
The deliverance of dreams,
Alas, not mine to take.
Unrelenting reason’s jibes,
Memories’ vice tight grip,
Guilt’s shrill voice,
My companions through the night.
Sweet lullabies of childhood,
Tight embraces of love,
Sweet kisses bringing the morn,
Fantasies lost in time’s whirlwind.
Loneliness’ unchallenged reign,
Despair taking over,
Insecurity peeping out of corners,
The new lights of my night.
No twinkling stars,
No waning moon,
No gentle breeze to soothe,
My prison is my mind.
Unending darkness all around,
Waiting in silence for the faraway morn,
Fighting a long lost battle,
To salvage myself from my mind’s night.
- Tanya Mishra