The Rattle
Sleeping in the same bed
with death
Hearing it breathing
close to my chest
The hours pass
slowly
From twilight
till dawn
The rattle
incessant
In dreams that
— prolong
*********
They Target ...
Some say ...
“People aren’t good
they want to be bad
“And dropping their vail
they prey
on the sad
“Vicarious evil
they spin
in the dark
“Entrapping the
weakened
— they target and mark”
*********
The Last Hope
Everything belongs
to those who will steal
Entitlement covets
the ones who straight deal
Ownership lies
in the will to invade
And take what another
has paid for in spades
History written
by winners and thieves
Who preyed on those weaker
morality grieves
That final comeuppance
the Good Book contains
The only hope left
— when justice abstains
*********
Colors Of The Night
Memory ill-begotten
in this land
of broken dreams
Passion exists
in scant supply
heartache packed in reams
Feelings dark
and tainted
in colors of the night
Where here I sit
my soul remiss
— with no escape in sight
********
Sleeping Alone
At the base
of the bed
there’s a crevice
Hiding
every memory
of pain
That losing you
has caused
me
Where I sleep
alone
— again
********
Hope Returns
A new gift
every morning
Ain’t rich
but Lord I’m free
Hope returns
with each new
sunrise
— washing over me
(Dreamsleep: June, 2026)