When You Were Awake

even in dreams now I'm not always free
being scolded by people I don't know
standing in my own living room

who are these dream scolders
how did i let them in
how can I get them to leave

I wake up and feel that I've done wrong
but I haven't done a thing
but sleep an interrupted sleep

were there loud noises
did the world end while I was sleeping
is it the next day

or the one I was still in 
when I dozed off.
some times in life

you lose your place in the scheme of things
you don't recognize faces
-how can you-

you never met
when you were awake.

mary angela douglas 10 may 2020