I Am Restless....

I am Restless....
I am restless,
Sleep has forsaken me ,
And nightmares are knocking
On my weary eyes...
Though I am far away
From the place of bloodshed,
Where many young lives
Were extinguished
By the beastly fanatics,
The cries of those slain children,
And the futile wails of their mothers
Are ringing in my ears
Like the sound of nails
Being hammered in some coffin.
This ultra-sonic sound is so heavy
That I am unable to hear my own gasps,
Inspite of burying my head
In the plump pillow whose cover
Has beautiful  roses
Lovingly embroidered by my grandmother.
And then,
In that corner
I see three witches
Gleefully chanting:
'Fair is foul and foul is fair,
Hover through the fog and filthy air.'
© Portia Burton