Elusive Mistress

In the bed of restless dreams, where slumber fades,

A poem of sleep's deprivation cascades.

With thoughts entwined and memory astray,

I wander through a haze, where focus may sway.

In this foggy world, judgement finds no home,

And forgetfulness like a tempest does roam.

Clouded minds, comprehension's veil weaves,

As understanding slips through elusive leaves.

A dance with darkness, a tango of despair,

Sleep's absence breeds moods that burden and tear.

Negative emotions hold tight to a heart,

Anger, frustration, and sadness taking part.

Through sleepless nights, hallucinations may creep,

Visions unseen, illusions that seep.

Mania awakened, bipolar's bitter song,

As the balance of sanity struggles to prolong.

Impulse and judgment collide in street and lane,

Crime's temptation whispers, driving one insane.

Anxiety and depression intertwine,

Paranoia lurks, a shadow in the mind.

The restless slumber brings thoughts so grim,

Suicidal whispers, through the night, they swim.

Micro-sleep's peril, a danger unforeseen,

Seconds lost to dreams that rupture routine.

Chronic diseases, the toll sleeplessness takes,

Heart's foe and pressure's rise, health at stake.

With strokes and diabetes lying in wait,

Kidney woes and obesity seal one's fate.

Hormone production, a symphony of need,

Sleep's deprivation diminishes the seed.

Growth hormones wane, unable to thrive,

Muscles weakened, cells struggle to survive.

Testosterone, the life force, begins to wane,

Three hours of sleep, the body's needed gain.

Depleted, unbalanced, the essence may fade,

Lack of rest, hormonal imbalance is made.

Immune warriors, shields against harm,

Cytokines released, in sleep they swarm.

Defenses falter, weakened in their course,

Infection looms, leaving the body's health in remorse.

A raging appetite, out of control,

Ghrelin's hunger, leptin's absence takes its toll.

Blood sugar rises, insulin rushes forth,

Cravings unleashed, weight gain takes its course.

And in the realm of sleep-deprived plight,

Aging's touch, like a thief in the night.

Skin, once vibrant, loses its youthful sheen,

Premature wrinkles etch a face unseen.

Oh, sleep, elusive mistress, we yearn for thy repose,

To find solace in dreams, where true rest bestows.

For in the absence of slumber's tender embrace,

We find a world tainted by exhaustion's face.

So cherish each night's slumber, a gift so dear,

Nurture your mind and body, calm all fear.

For in the realm of sleep, where dreams take flight,

Lies the key to a life filled with true delight. ("Elusive Mistress") by Courtney Weaver Jr.