Skeletons don't Sleep

Here is a link to my you tube channel where I read my poetry https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwmDj1yF6LA

A strange pattern for
writing has came
to me lately.
The skeletons of
poems form when I
lie down for a nap.
Sleep always calls,
and bones want to
dance and grow skin.
Lilacs bloom, and I feel
the inner thigh of
eternity, soft and wet.

I can't get any rest.
I have to jot down the
notes or they turn
to ashes and blow away
Or, they are buried deep in
mud and slumber,
impossible to dig up.

I sleep with a notebook and
pen, as I drift off,
I whisper to the tortured
bones,
don't cry and try not to worry.
I'll bring you to life.

Author's Note

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HwmDj1yF6LA
Here is a link to my YouTube channel where I do my poetry. I just put up a video of a poetry reading I did at the Mason City Public Library.
My books, Seedy Town Blues Collected Poems, It's Just a Hop, Skip, and a Jump to the Madhouse, and Sleep Always Calls, are available on Amazon.
www.thomaswcase.com

Reviews

[red93]

Excellent homage to creativity Thomas. The UK Poet Coleridge often wrote in an opium induced trance, and when writing one of his most famous Poems, he was interrupted by a visitor, and Coleridge claimed the Poem would have been even better without the interruption. Exceptional ✨️✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Thomas W Case]

Lol. Thanks, my friend.

[kronskymikhail]

This poem captures that haunting space between sleep and creation, where inspiration feels both divine and exhausting. The imagery of bones, lilacs, and resurrection lingers — raw and sensual. It’s the kind of restless energy artists chase endlessly. That fragile pull between chaos and beauty reminds me of the thrill of discovery at https://pincocasinos.com/, where every moment can awaken something unexpected and alive.

[Soren]

Used to sleep with a pen and paper on the end table now with a phone to record thoughts as they come and go. Nicely done Thomas I could identify with it right away

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you. I appreciate it.

[Soren]

You are most welcome Thomas

[Ayesha Faiz]

This is so beautiful and honest. It feels like your poems come alive at the edge of sleep, almost like little ghosts asking to be written. The way you described the struggle wanting to rest but needing to catch the words before they disappear is just... too real. The image of keeping a notebook nearby and whispering to the “bones” is touching. It’s gentle, a little sad, and very real.

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you ao much

[.]

This might be one of my favorite poems. I love how beautifully you handle every theme in every poem of you. You have imagery that provides an intimate texture with meaning. I admire it.

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you so much. I appreciate it.

[DIVYA]

This is a poem I solidly relate to. I woke up at 2 AM the other night and was compelled to take notes. If I didn't, it would all be gone as mist in the morning. Such a beautiful poem and with such stunning imagery Thomas.

[Thomas W Case]

Thank you so much.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

The second half of the first stanza is fascinating.
j.

[Thomas W Case]

Much appreciated, my friend.