Another Bad Night

for people who can`t sleep

A black hood has been forced over my head,

a thousand unborn children sing in my garden.

I do not have an off switch.

Voices rough with tobacco are planning my demise,

they lurk full of malice before my house,

a distant television frees waves of laughter.

The darkness starts from the ground and reaches

to the top of the sky, I wan`t to tear out the stars but

they are too hot, like lightbulbs.

My stolen sleep has been packed, like a dummy,

into an old suitcase, it rests ignored on a lighted pavement,

next to the  brumming diesel of a standing bus.  

Reviews

[Stabitha]

I have paranoid schizophrenia.

That is what it is sometimes like.

Just like that.

[R J Askew]

The bus seems to represent the waking mind. It should be moving fwd normally, but there is it idling along when it should be turned off.

[R J Askew]

I like this. Tis very vivid and dire in it imagery. But the depth of direness has a beauty about it because it captures the beauty of those long hours in the dark when the tired mind produces wonders. I esp like line 6, not sure why but I do. I can hear that TV. Actually looking again, line 3 catches my eye. We want creativity to fill our heads and are sad when it does not. Yet when our minds won't stop working that is bad too. Maybe schizophrenia is a state where the waking mind is swamped with the subconscious dream state. Schizophrenics certainly have no off switch.

[Eve]

Would love, love , love to have an off switch, second verse leaves me with a feeling so ominous it reminds me of days living in an apartment community, I do not miss that, lol, this is a wonderful bit of poetry, the mood the lighting speaks volumes!

[Victoria PoetryBunny]

Very nice descriptions and imagery of "Another Bad Night" nice title as well. I like this part here, as well as take the apostrophe out of the word want and separate the word lightbulbs into 2 words, light bulbs:
"to the top of the sky, I wan`t to tear out the stars but
they are too hot, like lightbulbs."

[Audrey Howitt]

a thousand unborn children sing in my garden.
I do not have an off switch.

These are the lines that speak to me--how many times have I felt this way at 3 a.m.? I am not sure anymore--I only know that 3 a.m. is my witching hour

[Shimmerbliss/CAF]

"A black hood has been forced over my head,
a thousand unborn children sing in my garden.
I do not have an off switch." This means to me that you have more wonderful poems clamoring to be born...who has time to sleep! I certainly get that!
"Voices rough with tobacco are planning my demise,
they lurk full of malice before my house,
a distant television frees waves of laughter." I love this! Smokers, and I say this as a former tobacco junkie, would rather smoke than sleep. They do not understand why you would not have a cigarette with them. ;)
" I wan`t to tear out the stars but
they are too hot, like lightbulbs." This is another wonderful image! I have resorted to a sleep mask!
This was wonderful...refreshing even at the cost of your night's sleep...I know that is rude, but I'm up anyway.

Thanks!

[Southern Cross]

Sometimes I wonder do poets actually sleep or just enter another dimension. Love the imagery.

I like all the details you paint so vividly.
This write makes us think, cause you can interpret it in so many ways.
Wonderfully done!

[MOON]

Expressive lovely write , captured insomnia perfectly.