A Child's Nightmare

Stranded

In the middle of dark empty space

Infinite numbers approaching

Petrifying panic

My whole existence at stake

Nowhere to turn

All is lost

I wake up in a state

The cure

Crawl into my sister's bed

Lie at her sleeping feet

The comfort of human contact

Finally bringing peace

A recurring nightmare into early adulthood

(Sorry Mum, Dad, Aunty!)

I never understood

And just let it be

Grateful it had receded into memory

Until today

The nightmare returned

Described in the pages of a book

As the building of the psyche

Inner objects flowing towards you

Which do you choose to grasp on to?

Simply bear witness

Look

Allow everything to flow through

Including panic and fear

Stop grasping

Calculating

Release the false solidity

Feel the space behind

And bask

In expanding being...

Sounds great

But is there a way to stop the flow?

The universe shakes its head

I grab my teddy bear and dive back into bed