Tragedy's Thievery

Walking on tiptoes
Balancing on the beam
Tragedy rumbles below
Such a prediction is unseen.

Moving left to right like a pendulum
Diligent in staying upright
A somersault here
A back flip there
Hoping to avoid the aftershock:
But the flashbacks still come.

My mind's eye is open
Then it is closed
Blinking rapidly as if in REM sleep
At times stuck in between:
These night terrors must cease.

Tragedy shook my beam
Landing hard
I seem to not remember my routine.

Dreams shaken and stirred
Unsweetened and tart
No amount of liquid can induce
A new route back.
I am unsure if I know how to climb back up?
To discover my rhythm
My dance, my song?

Tragedy is the culprit
But what recourse do I have?
This is a solo mission,
No one knows
No one understands.
The journey lies deep within
Not even I can conceive
Of an end to tragedy's thievery.