every night for months

every night for months
it felt like
invisible arms groping
hands grabbing
my arms, my face
legs, torso
strange violation
I lie in the first stage deep,
aware of my surroundings
with eyes closed
asleep

that night
the last night
of this awful ritual
wisps of appendages
glossed over my body
whittled down to only a few

I focused on my breath
relaxed, released
the arms, dream arms
only two now, one on either side
alongside my physical ones
blue-throated Shiva
Lakshmi
Krishna
or me