Somnolence

By Cliff Lake

 

Somnolence

 

Here I imagine away the day,

Less partaking than watching the fray.

Head in the clouds, on the ground my feet stay,

Have I really fled so far astray?

 

Waking hour influenced by moon’s gleam,

Dare I trust in this consciousness stream?

Or do I believe all is as it seems?

Lost in the dark of a dream.

 

And who can say

What it all really means?

Is it all merely chance,

Is it preconceived scenes?

Scrambling through life

From extreme to extreme,

Can we get it right

In the dark of the dream?

 

I wander past the unseeing eyes,

My real self is my disguise.

What happens when the circuits fry?

An avatar can never cry.

 

Where will they find their self-esteem?

Milk the motherboard for its cream.

You will not hear the diodes scream,

Tumble into the dark of the dream.

 

And who can say

What it all really means?

Is it all merely chance,

Is it preconceived scenes?

Scrambling through life

From extreme to extreme,

Can we get it right

In the dark of the dream?

 

Slaves to digital overstimulation,

Participants in the simulation.

Overvalued online reputation,

They contribute to the situation.

 

Is there a fundamental theme?

Some secret I can yet redeem?

Still, I am anchored to the scheme,

Moored in the dark of the dream.

 

And who can say

What it all really means?

Is it all merely chance,

Is it preconceived scenes?

Scrambling through life

From extreme to extreme,

Can we get it right

In the dark of the dream?

 

Waking in this dream,

Wandering this dream,

Wondering this dream,

Still in the dark of this dream.

 

Cliff Lake 11/14/2025

Copyright © Clifford Lake 2025

Location: Wichita, KS, USA

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