Fading Echoes of a Dream

I lay on my bed,

wanting to sleep,
praying to sleep,
wishing I could drift away like everyone else at this hour.

But sleep feels so far from me,
and my dreams grow blurrier by the second.

I've changed my position countless times,
yet sleep keeps slipping through my grasp.

My dreams grow hazy,
the night outside too dark to see through the window.
And I have sat here, staring through this window,
countless times before
gazing at a vast, dark ocean with floating clouds,
filled with forgotten and lost dreams.

As I watch, I wonder
which one is mine?

Some dreams shine brighter than others.
I sit, carried away by thoughts of where I belong.
But making a choice feels impossible,
because I don’t know where I want to be.

I want to shine,
but should I glow now and fade later?
Or dim now and blaze someday?

Not every star stops shining,
and not every star shines.

Still watching the drifting clouds,
the night whispers to me:
"Shine, my dear. You will glow like the stars
that light up the dark blue ocean."

Oh, the feeling those words bring
the tingling rush,
as if I am weightless,
jumping from cloud to cloud.

But I long to belong somewhere.
I have to choose to shine.

The night whispers, "Shine,"
but they will never truly let you
never let you outshine them.
They prefer a game of fetch,
because sharing was never part of their design.

It’s easy to find your way,
but every path carries its own punishment.

I have watched many give up,
some never reaching their finish line.
Some crossed it, yet never celebrated.
Some dreamt, but never saw their dream unfold.

The glow is tempting
but it can burn if not watched carefully.

I want to dream,
but somehow, someone keeps rewriting my dreams.

Watching, waiting,
to see if my star will shine long or fade too soon.

We all want to shine,
but no one will let us.

You reach for the brighter stars,
but they burn too fast and consume you whole.
Or they lure you in, steal your light,
and you never shine again.

I can’t sleep now
because you keep interfering.
I have to stand
or you will stand for me.

I see my dreams,
but they feel just out of reach
far away, like the sky.

I want to sleep,
but I hold onto my dreams,
because if I let go,
you will catch me
and then, I will burn with you.