Slumbering Tiger

A tiger stalks these walls and halls
that wind and bend with no trend
like a jagged river in my mind.
 It delivers the dark dreams-
that drive cold tremors up my spine
and put weight on my waking eyes.

Yet-
like an alcoholic or drug addict,
I'm atatched to its abuse,
an insomniac,
each night climbing back into bed
and nestling with the demon.
Just to wake hours later,
unrested,
unrelieved,
normal.


The beast that devoured the sandman-
walks circles in my head.
like its avatar-
striped and scared, at the circus,
whipped and tortured into perfection.
I wonder who is in the cage-
He or I,
and would I be safer there ?

A tiger stalks these walls and halls
that wind and bend with no trend
like a jagged river in my mind,
it sleeps with the rising sun.