Seeking Slumber

Photo by Cris Saur on Unsplash

Sleep, that elusive state of existence that brings rest, healing, and rejuvenation. It lurks in the shadows, creeping ever so slowly as you go about your day.

It calls to you and you long to answer, but fight instead. There is work to be done. You power through the waves and manage to accomplish a few measly tasks with your head above water.

Evening arrives and fatigue, sleep’s faithful minion, begins working on you. But you don’t mind. Yes, you welcome this feeling of heaviness and the promise of rest that it dangles in front of you like a carrot. After so many nights of tossing and fretting, you long for sleep to take over.

Feet are dragging, arms are listless, eyes are barely open. Eventually, you are dozing in your comfy chair until some obnoxious commercial disturbs your slumber.

Exhausted, you shuffle to bed and collapse.
Come sleep, come to me.
You drift off in the darkness, confident this night will finally bring rest.

But sleep, oh sleep is a devil of a thing, having no compassion or empathy. Sleep, in its devious way envelopes you fully for but an hour, and then rises to drift above the bed, waiting with giddy anticipation for you to stir.

In the dead of night, your mind wakes first sending signals barrelling down the nerve highway until every muscle is twitching. Your eyes open to the blackness. And you sigh — wide awake — resolved to wait in silence the hours that pass like molasses.

Thanks for reading. If you enjoyed it, you might also like this.