Prompt #8: The Sandman Cometh
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October’s “13 Days of Dark & Weird” Challenge
a susurration coaxes you deeper
downward in the inevitable, slumbering swirl
heavy lidded, twitching limbs — that startle just before the fall
grit in the canthi of your eyes when you wake
means he’s spared you a fatal dose… this timethe Sandman cometh
the Sandman giveth
thy dreams and fears
and should he deem thee worthy
the Sandman shall taketh thee away
to exist only in the dreams of others
rescued from the realm of the woken
In folklore, the Sandman is a figure who arrives at night to sprinkle his ‘fairy dust’ upon humans to let them sleep well and dream sweetly. In modern popular culture, the Sandman is not as benevolent, though still he comes at night.
Some people experience lucid dreaming, some insomnia, some sleep paralysis — and others don’t dream, or forget dreams immediately upon waking. As varied — innocuous and healing, or terrifying — as our experience with sleep is, the need for it is universal among we humans.
Give us tales about sleep, dreams, nightmares, somnambulism, insomnia, and/or folklore surrounding sleep. You can write about the Sandman, or you can write about other creatures of slumber.
Be sure to use our Submission Form when sending in stories for the 13 Days…Challenge.
Check out the 13 Days of Dark and Weird Challenge Letter for more details:
Other pictures, if that’s your sort of thing…
