The Ghosts of Dreams
By John Herlihy

Ghosts appear in my dreams;
I sleep with them every night.
As real as anything in sight;
They bring with them the silence of night.

They come in vast number,
To invade my quiet slumber.
None imagine this unwanted invasion,
During such an unassuming occasion.

They cling to me trying to menace,
Although they no longer give fright.
They represent tedious fears
I have lived with over the years.

Desires and hopes I could not let go,
Seeds put in the ground that did not sow,
Emotions in water that float on the surface,
Anger and envy that served little purpose.

The ghosts sometimes shed tears;
They weep over imaginary fears;
They accuse with silence rather than words;
They ruffle their feathers like agitated birds.

In old age they no longer appear;
They no longer float ominously near.
They have outgrown their appeal;
I have killed them with life’s spear.

I have outgrown their appeal to remember,
Events from April, June and November.
I have forgotten their capacity to scare,
They no longer have any special flare.

It is the ghosts that appear in the daytime
I now need to be wary of and take care.
They roam through the streets of every city,
Ready to invade a person’s mind unaware.

Take care as you lay down to sleep,
A ghost may be lurking in the shadows.
They will come to you first in your dreams,
Only to invade your life through the seams.