I would have slept all night

But for the dreams that repeatedly broke the quiet,

Filled with shouts and cries they were,

I could not suppress their loudness

That scarred my mind,

That brought me awake, again and again.

Injured, I sat at the open window panting for breath,

Looking deep into the night all night,

For the solitary beam of daylight to breakthrough;

They alone who have suffered this wait know

How difficult it is to pass those lonely moments

Battling with your dreams, again and again.

I do not cover my bald pate with a straw hat,

Such as those seen on the waterfront,

Flimsy, and about to catch fire they seem,

But I suppose my head needs the fire

To burn the nagging dreams that refuse to die

Making me suffer pain, again and again.