Thought Serpent

Shadows dance by lamplight inviting intrusive thoughts,
Although the hour is late, I must address their demands,
I sit and write, hoping to dismantle their covert weaponry,
Those heavy thoughts behind my eyes like invaders in my keep,
Anxieties that hang in the air like thick scales upon the back,
Of that great black serpent that has weaved its path,
Throughout the entirety of my waken memory,
Sleep may conquer it, but the realm of dreams must wait,
Until I write, then reword, and contemplate my escape,
Time passes, my mind aches and my eyes begin to burn,
I’m weary enough now to swallow that evening pill,
Knowing, that the great serpent sits coiled within me still.