No They’re Not

Watch the old tales carefully,
Which weaknesses undid them,
The humans, gods, and demons—

Sleep. Hunger. Lust. Affection.
All of them succumb to dreams.
Dreams succumb to none of them.

Consider power without them,
Without any weaknesses
Bound to being physical

Animals about yea big—
No hand-to-hand combat scenes.
No heads cut off while dozing.

No hearts tricked by temptation
Or betrayed by affection.
Not much of a story left

For the dreamers, but for dreams
This is fine, the way it is.
Dreams themselves are the army

Of demons that never sleep,
Never lust for other dreams,
Never care too much for beasts.

Your dreams, unlike you, don’t eat.
Your dreams, unlike gods, don’t stray.
You’ll never outwit your dreams,

Arriving when you’re weakest.
Wasn’t it just last night one
Made off with much of your rest,

And all of your peace of mind?
You woke up lonely, hungry
Flesh, but so quick to forget.