Nightmares

Nightmares


He struggled to remain awake;
he fought the need to doze.
He felt himself begin to shake
as eyes began to close.

Each evening he'd the same nightmare,
afraid he wouldn't wake.
He held tight to his teddy-bear;
his arms began to ache.

The Sandman, though, was not a fool
and spread his sleeping dust.
The boy slipped deep within a pool
of darkness, as he must.

He saw the full spectrum of light,
a rainbow in the sky,
a field of flowers glowing bright,
a floating butterfly.

A yellow sun showered its rays
and warmed the land below.
It left him feeling in a daze,
trapped with nowhere to go.

He woke up with a cry of fright,
his mother by his side.
Her claws held him to her scales tight
that shimmered on her hide.

"It's just a dream, not real at all,"
her sibilant mind said.
"The green orbs will be rising soon;
their verdant light will spread."

She sent a song of deep regret,
for he still was confused,
since on her world no alphabet
or words were ever used.

Somewhere across the universe
a child sat up in bed
with images of snakes and worse
still floating in his head.

"It's just a dream, not real at all."
His mother held him tight.
It seems that mothers everywhere
save children from their fright.



Notes:
An entry for "TLC -- Try your Luck Contest!!"  [13+]
Prompt: WORD PROMPTS: The following words must be in your piece. Put them in bold, underline, or a different color for emphasis! Spectrum - Claws - Green Orbs - Shower - Alphabet

Line Limit: 40
Line Count: 40
Form: End Rhyme; Meter: 8/6/8/6


Thank you for taking time to read my words. I would appreciate it if you took a moment and left a comment. Your reaction, impressions, criticisms, - yes, even encouragement and/or praise - are all equally welcome.

Ken