The Haunting Past

 Joel wrote this poem before we met. He struggled with horrible nightmares for most of his life, starting in adolescence, because of his mental illness. Occasionally, he'd still have them, if he skipped any of his medication. 

The Haunting Past 

The pain of your past haunts your nights

Filling up your mind with horrible sights

‘Tis a ghastly realm of madness and fear

Whom will you embrace, as panic draws near?


A nightmarish world of torture and pain

Lay forged together, the links of a chain

Your body lies bound, and so is your heart

While unwelcome dreams rip your mind apart!

 

What is it you see, when you close your eyes

What phantoms frighten, vex, and terrorize

Sweet sanity – you swore you’ll keep!

But not as long as you’re terrified to sleep!

 

You wake up screaming, every – single – night

With tightly clenched fists, ready for a fight

With your heart pounding, and dripping cold sweat

You sit gasping for breath in sheets soaking wet!

 

Lying there wide eyed, you shudder and shake

As you pray to God, “Please keep me awake!”

‘Tis self-inflicted, subconscious rape,

With nowhere to run, no hope of escape.

 

Except I’m still sane, I’ve learned to cope

It didn’t come easy, but don’t give up hope

Pray for the patience, the nightmares will cease

Give them to Jesus, and you’ll rest in peace!

 

2 Timothy 1:7

“For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of a sound mind.”

~ by Joel Purkerson


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