Poets logo

In the Arms of Sleep

Moment of Silence Challenge Entry

By Paul StewartPublished about a year ago 1 min read

sleep takes me captive, no matter how much I fight it, no matter what I do to escape its grasp...it takes me away down to the darkest recesses of the world of shadows

I wonder how long it will last this time, my captivity, my internal, cerebral prison...it is hard to hold onto the frayed ends of sanity

left alone with the stillness, the sombre stillness, both serene and sadistic in its design

elders, the torchbearers, gatekeepers of my mind's crypt, surround me, as my only companions in the abyss

never uttering a single solitary word, but keeping a watchful eye, between the moments of loud and varied glory, adventure, passion and heartache that my mind's theatre latest screening offers

chasmic and cavernous, a fortress of solitude, misery, hope and grief of my own creation

each night when I am no longer able to fight off the intoxication, as slumber beckons and welcomes me with open arms.

*

Thanks for reading!

Here are some others:

Acrosticartsurreal poetry

About the Creator

Paul Stewart

Award-Winning Writer, Poet, Scottish-Italian, Subversive.

The Accidental Poet - Poetry Collection out now!

Streams and Scratches in My Mind coming soon!

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. Eye opening

    Niche topic & fresh perspectives

  1. Heartfelt and relatable

    The story invoked strong personal emotions

  2. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  3. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

Add your insights

Comments (8)

Sign in to comment
  • Joe O’Connorabout a year ago

    It's a clever reversal on the usual trope of sleep as comfort and refreshment Paul, and you make silence here unwelcome. "between the moments of loud and varied glory, adventure, passion and heartache that my mind's theatre latest screening offers"- it's a frenetic sentences that mirrors the thoughts going on internally.

  • Grz Colmabout a year ago

    This one is brilliant! Would read very well aloud too. Ya know when u can just hear it!! I very much liked the part about the mind’s theatre too! 😴 💤

  • Wow! I especially liked: “ the moments of loud and varied glory, adventure, passion and heartache that my mind's theatre latest screening offers”… vivid depiction of the random stuff dreams project.

  • D.K. Shepardabout a year ago

    Very vivid and such a strong narrative feel to it! Well done, Paul!

  • Testabout a year ago

    This was clever and so captivating for me Paul! I liked that you did a prose per letter and really dove into that world you built here! Well done!

  • Gabriel Huizengaabout a year ago

    This is such a cool take on the challenge!! You've created rich, ethereal, and haunted world within a character's brief passage into sleep...brilliant, Paul :)

  • Cathy holmesabout a year ago

    Oh man, this is good. So many great lines. This here "left alone with the stillness, the sombre stillness, both serene and sadistic in its design," can definitely relate.

  • Mark Grahamabout a year ago

    Perchance, a chance to dream and maybe receive an answer or two. Good work.

Find us on social media

Miscellaneous links

  • Explore
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Support

© 2026 Creatd, Inc. All Rights Reserved.