The Damned Dreaming

How does the sick body do this,
Entering lake through the surface
Without the tickling sensation

On the way in, just arriving?
At some point, just in the dreaming,
At some point, hey, this is dreaming,

At some point, wake with a start—then!
Then there’s breaking surface tension,
Distinct sensation of breaching

And most or all of the dreaming
Disappears. Sick body’s awake,
Taking notes on the world it makes,

Notes that require a lot of work,
So much work, and the body hurts,
And, wait, it’s damned dreaming again.