Reality Nightmares

Reality Nightmares: Confronting Industry Shadows and Inner Demons

3:00 AM

Mara:

Each night, precisely at 3:00 AM,

I wake, drenched in sweat, from the same dark dream.

The void, it calls with whispers, names I recognize,

Yet faces unseen, it pulls me to the edge.

Whispers:

Mara... Mara... the abyss is deep,

Secrets, betrayals, truths to keep.

Mara:

A month of turmoil, the writer's strike,

Unpaid bills, rejected scripts, hope turned to night.

The nightmare grows vivid, with chilling mists,

And whispers insistent, urging to persist.

Whispers:

Scandals, betrayals, industry's decay,

Oprah, Nicki, the spectacle on display.

Mara:

Scenes of horror, exploitation's embrace,

Diddler's violence, hidden in disgrace.

Poison and despair, a stomach's hollow cry,

The void reveals a world where truths lie.

Mara:

Walking endlessly, freedom clamped down,

My voice silenced, my dreams drowned.

Ghosts of artists past, rewriting with pain,

Their true intentions lost, twisted by disdain.

Whispers:

Betrayal... secrets... truth to face,

Fear not the void, confront this place.

Mara:

Lydia, what must I do, this nightmare I endure?

Her eyes with determination, "The whispers hold the cure."

"Confront the void, listen, no matter how dire,

Face the darkness, the truth it will inspire."

Mara:

Alarm set, I brace for the dream,

At 2:45, I enter the void's seam.

This time, I step forward, no longer in fright,

The whispers grow louder, my mind takes flight.

Whispers:

Secrets... betrayals... truth to embrace,

The void, your fears, your doubts to face.

Mara:

Images flash, moments buried deep,

Betrayed, stolen, dreams in defeat.

At the strike meetings, the fight for fair pay,

Faces of power, indifferent to our dismay.

Mara:

A figure emerges, stronger, more bold,

It's me, yet not me, her story untold.

Our fingers touch, clarity's surge,

The void, my fears, now I must purge.

Mara:

Awake at 3:00, but fear is no more,

Resolution found in the nightmare's core.

At the strike meeting, I speak with new might,

Strategies shared, our cause ignites.

Mara:

Yet the nightmare returns, society's plight,

Protesters clash, families torn by fight.

Children in war, climate's harsh tide,

The void's hunger for suffering, worldwide.

Mara:

Faces of friends, colleagues by my side,

Lydia among them, in solidarity we abide.

The whispers a plea, for change to strive,

Together, our voices will survive.

Mara:

The nightmare a call, not just for me,

A reflection of the world, suffering to see.

The next meeting, passion ignites,

Demonstrations grow, we unite in our fights.

Mara:

Stories shared, nightmares confessed,

The void vast, but our hope expressed.

Scripts now tell of resilience and grace,

Hope in despair, our stories embrace.

Mara:

One night, the void recedes,

A bridge forms, built by our deeds.

Lydia, friends, hands intertwined,

A dawn breaks, a new day defined.

Mara:

Awake with hope, the nightmare now a guide,

Facing fears, with solidarity beside.

The void conquered, whispers my ally,

Ready to face, both dream and reality high.

Whispers:

Mara... Mara... fear no more,

The void is bridged, let your spirit soar.

Mara:

The nightmare, no longer feared, now leads,

In darkest times, hope and change it breeds.

Together we stand, in dreams and the day,

Reality's nightmares, we'll light the way.

Poetic dialogue among gods from different traditions, explaining the meanings of the name "Mara":

Poseidon (Greek God of the Sea):

In the depths of my vast, eternal sea,

Mara, you echo the endless waves,

A name that dances with the ocean’s glee,

In Latin tongues, it's "sea" that saves.

Yahweh (God in Hebrew Tradition):

From ancient lands where my people trod,

Mara speaks of a bitter plight,

Naomi’s cry, the path she’s trod,

In Hebrew, it is "bitterness" in the night.

Māra (Buddhist Demon):

In shadows deep, where temptations creep,

I, Mara, bring the fleeting desire,

In Sanskrit lore, through dreams I seep,

An evil spirit, with thoughts to conspire.

Tāne (Maori God of Forests):

In gardens green, where life begins,

Mara nurtures every seed,

In Maori fields, where growth spins,

A cultivated space, fulfilling need.

Celtic Sea God (Manannán mac Lir):

From Celtic shores, where legends roar,

Mara is the sea's embrace,

And bitterness that ancient bards implore,

A name both harsh and full of grace.

Allah (Islamic Tradition):

Rejoice, for Mara brings delight,

In some hearts, joy she does impart,

With "Marah," her name is light,

A burst of happiness, a hopeful start.

APA Citation:

Poseidon, Yahweh, Māra, Tāne, Manannán mac Lir, & Allah. (2024). The meanings of Mara: A poetic dialogue. *Journal of Mythological Studies, 18(2), 123-127.