insomniac by kiersten wood

As a child

darkness blanketed

me like a humidity thickening,

sticking to my skin and shortening

my breath.

Threatened by

Monsters

and clouds of

unknown,

I waited for my

imagination to take me

away. Floating through stars

and dancing on moon’s surface or

Discovering atlantis with a

Golden compass.

Now, I lay

Awake.

Distant cries of

Deadlines and

Regret pierce into

blackness.

Responsibility creeps

Under my bed,

With gnarled hands gripping

The edge of my pillow.

I wait.