constructing poetry

insomnia

night is a dance—
attack and retreat,
twirl and twist,
an endless negotiation between
my spinning mind
and my desire for sleep—
there is no rest as
problems circle into
a nightmare of waking.

the first measure starts
as footsteps climb the stairs,
their familiar rhythm a signal
that night has begun.

silence. I feel my heart
pulse in my fingers,
in my neck,
in my feet that twitch.
the beat is held by blood
and clockwork ticking past midnight.

I dance the rituals
that signal that it’s past time.
the lights can go out.
I put down my book,
tuck away my yarn,
shake pills into my hand,
taste my blood—
copper bright,
brush my teeth—
cinnamon mint,
dress, tuck myself away
into the soft cloud
of my feather bed.

I close my eyes,
and the melody bursts inside my eyelids
in ripples of red and blue,
gold and green,
swirling together and apart.
five minutes, ten.
the light blooms again,
an expression of my surrender
to wakefulness.

and so I take my book again,
my eyes burning
as I lose myself within the pages
until the smell of ink soothes me,
until dawn spills her light
onto my bed,
and sleep finally carries me away.

Prompt for: May 1, 2016 ▼

Subject or Theme: Describe a day or night at home or away at your favorite place.
Word(s) to Include: expression, ripple (or any derivatives of these words)
Forbidden Word(s): favorite, home, house, island, vacation (or any derivatives, compound or hyphenations of these words)
Additional Parameters: Minimum 24 lines, non-rhyming, descriptive poetry (use all of your senses)
Remember, do not use forbidden words ANYWHERE, including title or the brief description.