Warden of Dreams

You got it right this time,
You were charity,
But you've become so much more.

You're a great reason to oversleep,
An even better excuse for overtime.

And each time I wake,
To the sound of your soft purring voice,
I scavenge through a maze of sharp pillows,
Clutching at dreams sent fleeing by your ample charms.

Last night I dwealt in paradise,
A world free of petty tantrums.
I woke smiling to vanilla scents of anger.
Glass shattered behind closed eyelids.

My Castle,
My Dungeon,
I Cower behind bars forged in generosity,
And dream of slipping between.

Escape...
But I know what that would do to you.

-Glenn E. Petersen
February 14, 2000