Fever Dream

Echoes in and echoes out,

Whispers turn into a shout,

Their voices prowl through my thoughts,

hissing things I can’t make out,

They talk the same way fires burn,

sapping life with no concern,

I'm dry and cracked and limply dragged

to the point of no return,

Stumble through the mess of tears,

Watch them liquefy my fears,

Maybe it's just perspiration,

sliding gently to my ears,

Smoke and lava sear my skin,

Carve my walls all paper thin,

Crying never left me painless,

Hide behind my plastic grin,

Water proves thicker than blood,

I drown in a salty flood,

Nothing seems to be making sense,

Surrender to my heart’s thud,

Will I die to rain or flame?

Both sides think I’m theirs to claim,

Am I asleep or wide awake?

Tell the truth, is life a game?

Cough a song of sorrow sweet,

Block the voices here to greet,

They never come and never leave

as long as I’m here to meet,

Listen to the silent scream,

My heart sweats to form a stream,

Burning yet and forevermore

is me in my fever dream,