I awaken
Sweating
Trembling
It was there again.
Hideous
Staring
Puzzling
The substance of nightmares
The masks that invade my sleep
Take me on rapid journeys
Always along for the ride, no control.
Coming at me
Back away
Push
Slip
Slide
No use
It’s on me
My mother comforts me
I recall the mask, the moments
She holds me against her
I am saved, until… next time.
Breathing deep
Gasping
Scream
Stammering
Crying
A child
Innocence
Not again.
Old age has mellowed me
Such images worry me, don’t scare now
But I keep a distance, safety first
One never knows what slumber might bring.
Written for: http://dversepoets.com/2014/04/15/poetics-the-photography-of-phyllis-galembo/
Morpethroad 
Well, I have to admit, to me it is nightmare inducing too. Well said, Michael.
Thank you Jackie lovely of you to drop by.
Whew, I was breathing hard…along with you. Nightmares can be frightening. You captured their essence……vividly.
Thanks Mary, lovely of you to visit.
Recurring nightmares go to the very depths of us…a release from all we experience in this life, I think…a filtering system I guess I want to say
Thanks Katy thankfully they reoccur too often for me.
yikes. growing up i had more fears at night…living with a graveyard in the backyard…and in the middle of the woods probably did not help….as a kid my son had night terrors as well…they were horrible….scary stuff man…thank goodness we grow up a bit eh?
Thankfully we do Brian. I am ever amazed at where these prompts take me. Thanks for reading.
We do mellow with age, but dreams don’t!
Thanks Laurie, that is so true.
you certainly captured the intensity of a nightmare.
Thank you Anthony.
The night terrors seem to find us don’t they — nice.
Thanks for the comment Bill.
ha yes.. one never knows what slumber might bring… i used to have two repeating nightmares when i was a kid… luckily don’t have them any more…oy… it is scary…
They certainly can Claudia, thanks so much for reading and your comment.
What effective way to evoke your dreams! Childhood dreams/nightmares can be very scary. I too remember some of mine.
Thanks for the comment Gabriella. They can be scary.
I like the way you explore your deepest, darkest recesses via these prompts – admittedly, these masks are creepy rather than playful…
Thanks so much Marina, I appreciate your comment.
Liked the structure adding urgency of the nightmare. That would scare me too, if I saw that, well done Michael.
Thank you Jenny the images all screamed nightmare at me.
The flow of this is amazing. The short lines really bring out the fear of the dreams, and then the longer lines are the more rational thoughts while awake…yet knowing that more bad dreams are coming. Very well done!
Thanks Bryan I am happy you could connect with my poem.
One never knows what slumber will bring best to tuck a positive intention under that pillow before you drift to sleep. I think you captured real fear in your poem.
Thank you so much I appreciate your comment.
My children get nightmares its just horrible
It is Justine no matter what age you are. Thanks for reading.
Oh goodness. I know this dream!
I mean … NIGHTMARE! EEk!
You’ve had this one too I take it. Thanks for reading.
You know some of the drugs I take induce crazy dreams. I mean really weird. Very seldom do I have nightmares though. You did express the experience well.
Thanks so much Kim. That’s a bit scary in that your dreams induce crazy dreams.
The pain medication and the medication I take to relax myself to sleep. Some of the dreams would make a good story. But I’m usually too tired to get up and write and when I do get up. Yep the dream is gone. Actually dreams use to inspire Stephen King.
Oh, you’ve brought back that sensation I remember from when i was little…no masks just eyes floating out of the dark with a bell tolling in the background. You’ve caught the senstaions really well!
Thank you Georgia, nightmares are often events that stay with you. Happy you could connect.
Oh yes…I could tell you about many of my childhood dreams…and a couple were actually very beautiful.
Very captivating write on nightmares that none of us can control. The recurring ones are the weirdest to me and I know I have to look at something going on in my life. Well Penned.
Thank you so much Linda I appreciate you reading my work.