Dream Catcher

I wrote this after Columbine when I couldn't get the horror of it out of my mind.

Dream-catcher above my head,

collect if you would the demons who

follow me into the night;

trap in your web

visions of children dying,

Innocence stolen by shotgun blasts..

Holdback dark shadows of death

stalking those not yet ready 

to depart.

Do not allow mourning mothers

wailing with loss to follow me

into the night.

Take away grotesque image

of missing faces, barren places,

empty graves reaching,

waiting to wrap around lifeless victims,

so full of life

just moments ago.

***** 

Let pass only peaceful scenes

of life and love 

and hope.

Let me dream of joy

on young faces

going places where lives will be fulfilled

and they follow their destiny,

whatever that may be.

Let me dream of harmony,

spend sleeping hours 

in Utopia...

for as I wake

the nightmares of reality

shall surely be upon me

once again.

Reviews

[Zoe Jay]

Very nice direct style, and I like the deliberate contrast in mood as you move from describing bad dreams, to describing good dreams, it gives a nice symmetry to the poem and also leads into a nice ending. The concluding lines are clever as they give the poem more weight and relevance by reminding us that your nightmares are not mere creations of the mind, they spring from the reality around us, so this poem work on two levels - it is not only talking about dreams, but about life.

[MuSe Ampoule]

a sad piece directed at a very sad event. I couldn't imagine being a parent of one of those victims. It's easy to see you were haunted about that and this was a great write to show the emotions.

[Greg Skura]

Great Poem! I call that a daymare cause the lord knows i am not dreaming! Well said!

[VelvetRosetta]

Deeply sad and real...lifes realities are even worse than nightmares, I would rather dream away than face life sometimes.
Great write!

[Invisible Ink]

Great idea. I think Dream Catcher might make a better title. Nicely written.

[Amy Vaughn]

I love this. Beautifully written.

[writernubbin]

you have written from a true place inside yourself. i'm so glad you bring in the hope for a better future. nice work.

[Art]

Tragedy is a consistent and repetitive reality...it is only by the very strength of mind that we can overcome the very thought of its existence...

nice work

[sarah]

this is dark and fantastic!

[Charles]

Nicely done. An easy read that almost could be a dream. Try 'ho;d back' not 'holdback' and 'take away grotesque images' not 'take away grotesque image.'
:-)