Awake

for hours and hours
you've been in bed
lying down
in different positions
supine, prone, recumbent
with weary eyes shut
but wide awake
you are
tired but not sleepy
you hear nothing
but the sound of silence
and your slow, deep breath
and the click of the clock
mounted on the wall
in your dim room
while the outside world is quiet
you think
you wonder
your wander
you try to sleep
no, you're not worried
no, you're not in pain
but anxious and curious
why you cannot be
why you're incapable of
falling asleep
while others are
down and still
so silent and peaceful
they are
in their deep slumber
you wonder why
you're still awake
'though your eyes are closed
for hours and hours.

now, it's five o'clock
dawn has broken
you're yawning
you went to the bathroom
before you wrote the lines above
at first, you sat down
in a chair beside your bed
and started writing
in the dark
you've scribbled a few lines
then pause to think
you decided to turn on
the lampshade by your side
and continued writing and thinking
down with your thoughts
about why you can't sleep
while in bed, with eyes closed
for hours and hours.

copyright 2011 by chris alibin quilpa