nightmares

   standing in a wooden enclosure
         surrounded by little 
     smiling faces
                &
              hands grasping for mine.. 

 I recognize a few
       from the last time 
my feet tread upon 
          this lava rock ridden
               land... 

   the familiar colors catching 
my eyes
       between the cracks 
    in the walls... 

   the sounds of motorbikes, horns,
           women chatting at the 
      market, 
         and young children crying
drift in and fill my ears 
            from down the street...

     I squeeze the hand 
           of a little girl
 and stare into those 
    beautiful brown 
   eyes
before I walk through 
      the room... 

  I come to another 
       room,  
           crowded from  
    wall to wall
          with people... 

As I sit amongst the crowd, 
      I realize 
  something is very wrong... 

         men with guns 
are taking people at random
     out of the room, 
                never to be seen 
  again... 

           Outside once more
                    I am running

through the streets
       filled with holes, 
animals, 
     and crowds of people... 



   running, 
          running,  
               running... 



someone grabs me from 
            behind

   I let out a gasp
             before 
I recognize the face 
    very much out of 
                    context...

 we embrace
     & the newcomer 
joins me 

     as we set out 
           again



   running, 
       running,
    running... 




 I am the first
         to reach the center... 

I greet a very young 
      boy 
        standing outside

before I run 
      through the door...


  I immediately halt
        as I take 
in the scene.. 

        the boys hang by 
                ropes
    from the rafters 
        they built 
            with their own hands... 

  I run out of the room, 
         fighting the violent urge
     to retch, 

           tears streaming down 
      my face, 

         my eyes betraying 
                       my state of shock... 

  Again I am 
  


     running, 
              running, 
        running... 



I awake, 
   
   covered in sweat...

 a single tear 
          falls down  
    my cheek.