A Night in the Life

A night in the life

  

 

8:49 pm

 

I lay in my bed.

And I count the knots in the ceiling.

I watch the reflections of the TV on the skylight.

Every now and again,

I hear you open the cap,

Spit your tobacco into an Iced-tea bottle,

Clear your throat,

And screw the cap closed once more.

 

9:06 pm

 

I hear you get up from your chair.

You walk into your bedroom,

And emerge several minutes later,

Walking a little bit heavier.

You sit down again,

But this time you flop down,

And the chair creaks a bit with your weight.

 

9:24 pm

 

I can feel the anxiety coming on.

It's only a matter of minutes before you turn out the lights.

Then I will be left alone in the dark.

Petrified, like I always am when I spend the night here.

 

9:28 pm

 

I hear you get up.

My blood pumps faster and I start to sweat.

The reflections on the skylight stop.

I squeeze my eyes shut.

When I open them, the lamp by the stairs is off.

I can't see the knots in the wood ceiling anymore.

Just pitch black.

I feel like crying.

 

9:50 pm

 

I'm still terrified.

I swallow the lump in my throat,

But a tear still slides down my cheek.

I get up and look out my window at all the cars on the highway.

I wish I could be in any one of those cars,

Rather than here,

All those people have somewhere to go.

I am stuck here, helpless.

If I needed something,

You wouldn’t be here.

You never are.

You’re to drunk to care, or even notice.

 

4:15 am

 

I finally drift off into a semi-conscious sleep;

Aware that when I wake up my eyes will burn from the crying.

But there is nothing I can do about it.

I'm still scared, but I'm too exhausted to stay awake. 

 

Reviews

[★ Aeryn Harmonica..]

Very powerful and moving... Good work...