Dreams of a similar kind
Haunt me almost every night.
A pattern in them do I find,
Let me bring it to the light.

Putting all my fervour into pen,
Sitting in a silent exam hall,
My hand becomes heavy and leaden;
Hard as I try I cannot write at all.

I chance to see a horror,
On first impulse I want to shout
And cry with might for succour.
Alas, no sound from me comes out!

Close danger by me is sighted,
‘Run, run’, shouts my brain.
But my feet stand rooted,
All efforts to move are in vain.

My body, no doubt, is agile
During the day when awake.
But in dreams the limbs are immobile
And quite a strange stand they take.

Sense and order stand behind
Senses and actions during the day
When in control of the conscious mind-
Productive and progressive is their way.

Unreal and unbelievable are the deeds,
Utter chaos and confusion prevail
In the dreams night’s sleep breeds-
As good help or useful guide they fail.

Be they vividly remembered
Or only vaguely recalled,
Dreams are best ignored
And from memory uninstalled.