Sonnet 12 (flickering dreams)

the moths you caught had died during the night
trapped beneath glass so cruelly transparent 
furious wings beating towards the light
now still and crumbled by lifeless lanterns

they would not have let us sleep, you explained
with their flickering all about the room
and I nodded agreement to contain
the guilt, and the panic that still consumed

for in truth I knew the dreams they carried
were as persistent as the light they sought
drawing them towards that blinding moment
when heat overcomes the desire it wrought

now cold and broken in the light of dawn
dreams trapped beneath glass, ruined and stillborn