Demented

After a lifetime
of weird, violent dreams,
she was trapped in a bell jar,
a vacuum of muscle twitches,
muted mumbling and silent screams.

She punched soundless glass walls.
She struggled, to no avail,
to kick herself with her rapidly
shrivelling mermaid’s tail
and recoiled from the reflection

of a gurning monkey face,
that sent her crashing
into the glass ceiling,
disordered her REM
and put her in her place.