this swirling mass pulling people away
no colours, no control, just unrelenting fear
i grab at them but nothing changes
people i love being taken by grayness
standing, crying, screaming, trying
then someone wakes me, shaking me
first father, then husband, then daughter
then sickness overwhelms me
as fear overwhelms the others
they ask what happened, i try to explain
but mostly i make no sense
after a time no one comes, the mother
said i did it for attention and told the father
not to go anymore, she told the husband the same
he told me to sleep on the couch and to clean up myself
but the daughter, she cleaned me up and held me the rest of the night
the doctor said PTSD and started me on meds, an adult by then
the swirling mass lessened but has never left
living with anothers nightmare that has no seeming beginning or end
is difficult, but living alone now i don’t bother anyone
just shower and change the bed and clean up the floor
i have always disliked going to sleep, i don’t think that will change