To Never Dream

From Modern Dreams

That some may sleep but never dream—
I dream the dreams that never keep
Me in too long—or deep—a sleep.
My only wish: to always dream;
My greatest fear: to never sleep—
How many sleep and never dream?

Too many dream their lives asleep—
Too many sleep their dreams away—
Too many wake from dreamless sleep—
Too many fear their dreams come true.

So many chase a hopeless dream—
So many dream their dreams away—
So many cast their dreams away—
So many chase their dreams away.

Some wake us from eternal dreams—
Some wake us from the darkest dreams—
Some make us dream eternally—
Some make us sleep eternally.

Some wake us from the tragedy—
Some lead us to the tragedy—
Some save us from the tragedy—
Some never see the tragedy.

The dreams that keep me wide awake
—Like sirens on a blackened sea—
Are strange and all too real dreams
That never let me sleep in peace.

The dreams I dreamt are much too deep
To keep me for too long asleep;
These dreams I wrestled from my sleep—
These dreams were salvaged from my sleep.

I told myself I’d always keep
A place to store these precious dreams,
Until the day when I arrive—
Until the day when I awake.

David B. Gosselin is a poet, translator, writer, and researcher based in Montreal. He is the founder of The Chained Muse and hosts Escaping the Brave New World.