Real Or Not?

I just read a poem about Illusions and our spiritual inner self. I wrote this last week.

Real Or Not?

My reality is filled with nightmares,
But are my nightmares merely dreams?
Are dreams the solid reality
Where nothing is what it seems?

I can touch and feel the colours
That paint the visions that I see.
I experience all the pain
That reaches out and touches me.

I hear the screams that are cried in solitude,
Of the harmed and murdered souls.
It was not me that wanted the nightmares
But I cannot change the roles.

If the dreams are nightly terrors
And the daily torments a trance I must endure?
Do the voices that come to haunt me
Hold the key to whatever is the cure?

In the past there were others
On which the blame could be hurled.
Now there’s only me amongst the living
Left to carry the curse that is my world.

© 2019 Daniel Kemp All rights reserved

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About Daniel Kemp

At the age of seventy-six, Daniel Kemp has started his second year of studying the science of Psychology at the Open University. He is a member of The Society of Authors and also a bestselling writer. However, in early September 2025, he was diagnosed with cancer. He is now in palliative care at home, being looked after by his ex-wife. When he was writing his novels, he enjoyed writing stories that appealed to those who liked challenging themselves to solve mysteries that were set out before their eyes, but they couldn't. His introduction to the world of espionage and mystery happened at an early age when his father was employed by the War Office in Whitehall, London, at the end of WWII. However, it wasn’t until after his father died that he showed any interest in anything other than himself! On leaving academia he took on many roles in his working life: a London police officer, mini-cab business owner, pub tenant and licensed London taxi driver, but never did he plan to become a writer. Nevertheless, after a road traffic incident left him suffering from PTSD and effectively—out of paid work for four years, he wrote and self-published his first novel —The Desolate Garden. Within three months of publication, that book was under a paid option to become a $30 million film. The option lasted for six years until distribution became an insurmountable problem for the production company. All ten of his novels are now published by Next Chapter Publishing Company which has added an edition titled The Heirs And Descendants Collection, which holds all four books of that series, alongside an edition titled The Lies And Consequences Collection which contains all four volumes of that series. He is the recipient of rave reviews from a prestigious Manhattan publication and described as—the new Graham Green—by a highly placed executive of Waterstones Books, for whom he did a countrywide tour of book signing events. He has also appeared on 'live' television in the UK publicising his first novel. Less
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4 Responses to Real Or Not?

  1. delphini510's avatar delphini510 says:

    Daniel, funnily I also wrote a poem on the subject of our inner guiding self and illusions.
    Thinking along the same line but yet not.
    You are having nightmares that feel real. Are they Illusions or dreams?
    ” Do the voices that come to haunt me
    Hold the key to whatever is the cure?”

    Let us hope so as I would like your ur nightmares to disappear, they are frightening.

    Miriam

  2. Daniel Kemp's avatar Daniel Kemp says:

    It was your–Inner GPS that spurred my reply, Miriam. 🙂

  3. I must admit that I don’t dream often, or if I do I am not aware of it. I only dream when I am worried about one of my boys health. They both suffer from chronic illnesses and sometimes I dream I haven’t given them their medications and they are dying. I wake up and have to check on them. It is very frightening.

  4. Daniel Kemp's avatar Daniel Kemp says:

    I think I can understand that fear. It’s a form of self-doubt that I’m suffering from all the time

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