RED FLAGS

here i sleep
with nothing
but
my dreams
to comfort me
while:

the bull
below my room
has given up
tired of being tormented
by red rags

tears flow out
of a man’s eyes
in the next room
when he thinks no one
realises

the phone is
dangling in the office
by its cord
a distressed voice is
pouring out
into the room

screams
creep
up through
the floor boards
and get into
my head

there’s a war
going on here.
there never used to be

why can’t
my dreams stop this war