with the boy

This is a story about an eight year old boy
Whose nights were all dreamless and brought him no joy.
He tried to imagine before going to sleep
Tons of great places and people to meet.
Alas, when he woke up there’s nothing to grab;
No islands, no caves, not even a flag.
The days were as normal as childhood could be;
He played with his friends, ate nuts and drank tea.
The sun cast a shadow on his cursed hallow nights,
But once, his friend told him of a witch and three knights.
“We were trapped in a dungeon crawling with rats
And we hung from the ceiling along with the bats.
She wanted to boil us in hot tar and wheat
So that later in the winter she’d have something to eat.
But my teeth were made by a blacksmith, you see.
They were quite strong and sturdy, and thus, we were free.
We captured the witch and cut off her head
And bravely raced back to the castle ahead.”
The boys were al cheering and clenching their fists,
Pretending to cut with some branches thick mists.
But our boy had already hid inside his room
His eyes were all wet, and he yelled at a broom:
“Why aren’t I dreaming? Where have I gone wrong?
What did I do to be a bird with no song?”
The sun disappeared and soon it was dusk
And from under the door came a strong smell of musk.
His mother came in and called him to dinner
But she saw in his eyes an unfamiliar shimmer.
“I don't want to eat!” said the boy in one breath.
“My son, what has happened? The pillow’s so wet.”
He didn’t answer, for he knew that his parents
Care only for school grades and eating his carrots.
“Listen here, darling, I know you won’t eat
But please, for mummy, don’t cry yourself to sleep.
You’ll have horrible nightmares of dragons and beasts.”
“Then I’ll kill them and eat them!” said the boy slightly pleased.
Alas, his mother was wrong once again;
He had not seen a dragon, not even its den.