Sleepless Lament

Attempting a type of poem I have not written before, a villanelle.

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Sleep eludes my weary eyes,
A restless mind, it cannot rest,
In darkness, I ponder, I agonize.

Tossing, turning, I despise
The quiet hours, the empty nest,
Sleep eludes my weary eyes.

I count the stars that dot the skies,
But slumber’s embrace is a fleeting quest,
In darkness, I ponder, I agonize.

The clock’s tick-tock, a lullaby,
Yet, still, I’m wide awake, distressed,
Sleep eludes my weary eyes.

I search for peace, but it’s disguised,
A fickle friend, a teasing jest,
In darkness, I ponder, I agonize.

I long for dreams, a sweet reprise,
But wakefulness, my constant guest,
Sleep eludes my weary eyes,
In darkness, I ponder, I agonize.