Sleep, say what?

living on caffeine and insomnia but,
sleep is a sneaky culprit.. it has some tricks,
like necessity,
that always catch up with me.
Every night I fight, strain
    against the inevitable. yet  I can not
avoid it forever, my eyes must
        close, even if it is
            against my better judgment
    to do it unintoxicated.
If I had sleeping pills, I’d take them.
    knock myself out cold,
        slide into a dreamless oblivion.
but all my pill rights have
             in fact, been revoked.
    I mean, really. It was just one little        
                    over dose.

So I am left here,
    wondering through early
morning nights, finding out
        about how long my body
can run without decent sleep.
    I’m watching circles
        set up camp under my eyes.
But my iris’s, man, they’re bluer than ever.

    I can only trust sleep when
            it ambushes me with my guard down
        from exhaustion.
You’d be amazed at how little you dream
    when you’re brain is only worried about not
        losing its wits to sleep
deprivation.

Reviews

[Lady Lazarus.]

I can only trust sleep when
it ambushes me with my guard down
from exhaustion.
You'd be amazed at how little you dream
when you're brain is only worried about not
losing its wits to sleep
deprivation.


this poem is tremendous.....
those minutes in the middle of night-a purgatory you wish to stay in as you feel at least you're the only one alive.
Its a time of impending doom crawling up your back.
amazing...

[Dan Bullock]

The strength of the body wanting to shut down is an immense one, I've found myself one or more taken by the might of having no control. Strong and interesting writing, very much like it :)

[Parker Pearl]

"So I am left here,
wondering through early
morning nights, finding out
about how long my body
can run without decent sleep.
I'm watching circles
set up camp under my eyes."

LOVE IT.

[Katrina]

wow. this was awesome. i know about the whole not sleeping thing all too well. way to capture the nods of a million suffering the same insomnia.

[Jon Cooper]

Very nice :]

I understand the feeling one-hundred percent!

[Aaron B.]

WOW that was pretty much...

AMAZING!

:)

[Lori]

I love this description of sleep...or the lack of it. The way you personify sleep -- making it the enemy, something to fight. You use humor, but don't overdo it. The sadness and underline emotions that are causing this sleep deprivation come through without being overtly stated, and that makes the poem extremely poignant. I love how you describe this desire to just take sleeping pills and that feeling of just finally letting your mind go completely blank. I've had that feeling when I've taken sleeping pills -- of being pulled under and then out.