Sleep

There are a fair number of things we do every day that we think little of. But when I step back and consider mundane things as if I were an outsider, I find life is full of strangeness.

Now and then, I’ll look at one of my cats and say to my wife, “Isn’t it odd that there are these 4 legged, furry creatures—so different from us—that live in our house and that we have relationships with?” It feels almost fantastical, like encountering aliens on earth or stepping into a fantasy novel with imaginary beasts.

Sleep is another thing that, when I think about it, is really odd. I mean, we’re alert and conscious all day. Then, because the sun goes down, we are irresistibly drawn into a state of unconsciousness and are largely unaware of our surroundings. (Don’t even get me started on dreaming). Weird, right? Below is a poem from my latest book, Shadow and Memory, about falling asleep which, I hope, doesn’t put anyone to sleep 😉🥱

Sleep

Sleep is a sinkhole 
opening inside,
drawing me down 
some dark throat drinking sand
to nowhere.