My Familiar

My Familiar

©By Vijaya Sundaram

March 27th, 2013

Behind my eyes sits the demon

He scratches at my lids

And heaves them up

He creates his double.

Each sits, crafty,

Sly as the worst 

Green-glass-eyed

Goblins of old,

Plotting to keep me

Awake, restless,

Past the witching hour.

So I stay up, slicing the dark

Cursing, wishing, praying 

For good sense

To prevail.

And my  candle burns

Through the night,

Sputtering and guttering,

Dying at 2:00 a.m.

I love sleep.

I could sink

Happily into the arms of 

Hypnos, attended by Oneiros,

I would, but for this demon,

Unnamed still, but power-thrilled,

Who vies for my affections

With the Lord of Sleep.

And, slyly, by his bribes,

Enticements, false urgencies and

Sheer brazenness, I am slain.

My will shredded, I sit.

And, now, wedded to a distant 

Relative of insomnia,

I abandon my one true

Love:  Sleep.  Hypnos,

Who waits for me upon a 

Distant, purple shore,

Attended by the Oneirei.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The End ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~