nose in my textbook
I wake to find my study
time taken by sleep

there is no rest for
sleepy eyes and tired brain
as time is fleeting

mind frantic with the
necessity of doing
things can do nothing

all mask their souls to
make them fit in better with
all the other masks

the frantic panic
of waking up when it's dark
and it should be light

heavy-lidded eyes
quick to sleep and slow to wake
close all on their own

stress is an illness
whose cold, icy fingers will
grab hold when you're young

or, alternatively, since I'm not sure which is better:

stress is an illness
whose fingers grab when you're young
and never let go

cluttered brain and room
things and thoughts all strewn about
poking feet and mind

homework left undone
all spread out upon the floor
waiting patiently

darkness looms above
dark clouds on the horizon
prelims coming soon