For Sleep

For Sleep-

Sleep eludes me.
Knotted blankets, twisted limbs
Sweat-soaked pillow
Darkness and silence
Positioned one way or another or another
It doesn't matter.
Sleep always escapes
Too crafty for capture.
My mind churns
Loss and stress and fear
Tangled up in a never-ending bid
For my attention.
Teeth grinding, fists clenched
Eyes drooping, never closing.
No amount of pills or teas or tricks
Can fool my mind into resting.
And if by chance...
I win the battle and sleep is
In my possession
Then the nightmares begin,
Haunting, howling, ruthless
Gripping my throat until
I release my prisoner sleep
And push it away.
Leave me alone
Let me be
Let me sleep, a real sleep
A calm sleep
Where I can finally wake up
Restored.