Read Poem: I FEAR THE WAKE by CASSIE M. HUFFMAN

DEEP THE NIGHTMARES BURNING BRIGHT
DO I PRAY THE QUICKNESS OF A REPEATED AND ABUSIVE DELIGHT?
MY BREATH HAS BEEN STOLEN, MY COMPOSURE ALL LOST
MY SENSE OF DIRECTION, OVER A SELF -MUTILATION PATH I HAD CROSSED

UNAWARE OF THE THOUGHTS DAY BEFORE I HAD LAIN
TO CAUSE THESE SWEATS, AND THOUGHTS INTENDED NOT FOR THE SANE
THE TREMBLES, THE SHAKES, OH WHY? OH HOW LONG?
HOW LONG CAN ONE ENDURE AN OVERPLAYED SONG?

I WILL THE NIGHTMARES, I WILL THE FEAR
I FEEL SAFE IN THE DARKNESS; SHADOWED BY THE SORROW I WEAR
THIS BURDEN I CARRY, AS MY SCRATCHES HAVE IMBED
WHO WOULD EVER BELIEVE I’M SO FUCKED UP IN THE HEAD?

I WILL TO SLEEP ALL NIGHT THROUGH
FOR MY WELL BEING’S SAKE
THE VOICES IN MY HEAD ARE OVERDUE
FOR AN ETERNAL SILENCE OVERTAKE

I NEED THE TERROR, I NEED SOME REST
MY HEART WILL NO…