Sleepers' Tears

Read this news story first. It's seriously creepy.

If this gives you nightmares, blame Todd for the link.

The Madagascar moth drinks sleepers' tears.
Each insect, merciless, to dreamers brings
the dust of midnight sadness, midnight fears.

They’re silent; even waking, you’d not hear
these famished sleep-intruders hovering.
The Madagascar moth drinks sleepers' tears.

But in your dreams, you’ll feel them circling near,
surrounding you with spectral flutterings
and dust of midnight sadness, midnight fears.

The nightingale’s aghast when they appear,
and tries to warn the sleepers. Hear, he sings:
“The Madagascar moth drinks sleepers' tears!”

Into your dreams it falls, and falls for years,
the poisoned dust from Madagascan wings—
the dust of midnight sadness, midnight fears.

Tomorrow night perhaps they’ll reappear
but now they’re gorged on sorrow, staggering.
The Madagascar moth drinks sleepers' tears
and feeds them midnight sadness, midnight fears.