Insomnia

Up past my bedtime again.

I sleep best

when I wrap myself up in the belief

that you are here beside me.

Curled up around my memories,

along with an old, tear-streaked

shirt of yours

that probably smells more like me

than you at this point.

I convince myself

that the pillow is your back,

until I can almost feel you

breathing up and down.

So I drift off,

for an hour or a minute,

wake cold, restart the process,

and work myself fitfully toward

morning.

March 3rd, 1997

Mutual Paradox© Cammie S. Sinor, 2014