Have you ever awakened suddenly
Heart pounding, unable to breathe
The line between dream and reality blurred?
You wonder what to think
What to do
Do you try to go back to sleep?
Do you try to recreate your dream?
Do you ever wonder what woke you up?
Can you easily return to sleep?
What do you do?
What do you think?
Is there a way to separate your mind
From dream to reality?
How about a desire to go back to sleep
To fix whatever situation woke you up so suddenly?
Do you wonder if sleep will ever return?
Perhaps you sit up, looking around your room.
Maybe you get up and wander your house
Trying to “shake it off.”
As your heartbeat and breathing
Return to normal,
Do your fears overtake you of
Returning to that dream at the very moment
Where you woke up?
Perhaps you grab your kindle
Or a book to read
Just to get your mind off of it.
Sometimes I need to wander the house,
Or go walking in the backyard,
Hoping to look up and see something
Familiar. Neighborhood lights.
Stars and the moon.
Listen to the snores of your spouse
Or your dog? 😊
If you wonder what I do the most,
You may think I wind up here,
Looking at my  computer screen
And typing out my feelings on the keyboard.
There is no specific action I take.
Reviewing what I’ve written,
I believe I have done it all.
Occasionally, I have returned to sleep
Trying to fix the nightmare.
On a clear night,
The backyard is my sanctuary:
Seeking a view of my stars,
Sometimes from the familiar
Warmth of my backyard spa
Even in very cold weather.
Other times, I find myself here
Writing my thoughts or my
Experiences down.
Everyone has different reactions
To dreams or nightmares,
Whatever word fits the experience better.
I seldom want to go back to sleep
Right away.
Occasionally I want to run.
Just to escape those feelings
And thoughts that so quickly
Slip away,
Leaving behind only the adrenaline;
The confusion;
The fear.