Counting Sheepish

Dreams so cruel
their exile invites 
waking tyrants

Alarm-time torments
no rest for restless
legs lock protest
resist tear’d solution 

crimson and calm

Meditate medicated busy-brain
halogen hallucination tempers glass
nerves fray ego fragile 

lucky strikes immolation
douse down and out

Words sting surrender 
refusing to scar
paper tissues over 
cracked voice violence