John Sara
Dream Warriors
We show off matching scars in group therapy,
share stories of how we got them; measure wounds
to see whose cut the deepest.
We make bets on who can stay awake longest;
swap cigarettes and caffeine to do it; down coffee
grounds with cans of Coke.
Maybe you can keep watch while I close my eyes;
stir me to life if I have another nightmare.
Teach me to control my dreams;
to bend steel and walk on two feet,
to be beautiful and bad.
Let’s go in together, dream warriors,
like something out of a Saturday
morning cartoon; pull the boogeyman
into our world.
We can sit him down in our circle of chairs;
see what keeps him awake at night.
John Sara is a writer from Parma, Ohio. He received his BFA in Creative Writing from Bowling Green State University and is currently pursuing his MFA at Ashland University. His work has been featured in such places as Prairie Margins, Paper Dragon, The Evening Universe, Schlock! Webzine and more. You can follow him on Instagram @darkbat616.