bittersweet symphony
raindrops scatter
along with a skirl of notes
from a mockingbird perched
on a barren tree branch
this abrasive duet
binds itself to the edge
of my slumber until
the shrill ping of the alarm
shatters the moment
& I arise from my bed
suspended in regret
with an earful
of staccato shards
The Anchor
My cat hooks his paw
into my hip while he sleeps,
a reminder I’m necessary
for food and other matters.
This reminds me of when
we once shared a bed;
a bad idea from the start.
You, always wrecked with pain
and wrapped in nightmares,
would loop an arm around my waist
and groan with relief,
as I became an anchor
to keep you from drifting away
to a place of which you feared
but never spoke
What I never told you
was what you cost me;
the hours, the dreams,
and sleep I lost
as you relaxed into safety,
and spread out in the bed.
Over time, I was pushed
little by little, to the edge.
I tried to talk about it
but was told to suck it up
by single bitter friends
who’d trade their lives
for one night
of entangled limbs,
and a litany of snores.
I began to resent
your obstruction
of my comfort and rest,
until one evening,
when I was stricken
with a migraine,
and elected to sleep alone.
This was the moment
that through my own pain,
I breathed a sigh of relief
as I reclaimed my space
and sanity.
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