Sleep

Lying there staring at the ceiling

Counting sheep

But sleep never comes.

The creaks in the house echo through my room

Bouncing between the window and the dresser

Tick tock, tick tock

Time never stops it keeps going,

But where does it go?

When I close my eyes what happens?

Where does my mind go?

I reach my breaking point

Finally falling captive to that looming darkness

Sleep

My mind wanders

Traveling through the empty house,

Exploring each crevice

Storing the previous day away

Hiding some moments

Holding others out in the open to share with all

While clutching some moments close to my heart

I replay those moments and they come to life

The sounds, the smells, the smiles, the tears

It all comes flooding back

In waves of memories

Time never stops it keeps going

Moving on

It travels to all the places I’ve been

It hides behind the desk

That holds me captive during the day

It reaches out to me

Acting out what I wish I would have just said

If only, if only

It’s my one more chance to stand out

It takes me to all the places I wish to go

Hiking the hillside of the Himalayas,

Biking the bottom of the Grand Canyon

Riding the dizzying roller coasters of Disneyland

Standing atop the ridge lines of Scotland

Looking out among the rolling waves coming in

Those waves of memories

Filling the room

Jumbling together to create dreams

Unfolding all the moments like a map

Only to fold them back up

And file them neatly away

Behind the tab titled memories

My mind continues to wander

Time keeps going

Tick tock echo through my room

Beep BEep BEeP BEEP BEEP!!!

The alarm sounds

Awakening me to the reality of time

It continued on without me

While all I did was sleep

~ Elle Woods