I am not silent though you will not hear my words
My actions are as mundane as peeking through blinds
It is well into morning before I step out of the shower
But I was late to sleep last night and then could not rest
I lay down, my breath not deep enough for comfort
I paced again, exhausted but engorged with thoughts
My hours of darkness swaddled me as the sun lifted
Dirty plates pile on the countertop, waiting for soap
I should exercise but I eat, I should eat but I worry
The pages lie empty but the story beckons for attention
Its words thrum in my heart, hammering for speech
If I didn’t live in my books, I wouldn’t be breathing at all
Just a thought 68
Image of Eros sleeping, courtesy Wikipedia
Sharon Bonin-Pratt's Ink Flare 
Comments on: "This is Where You’ll Find Me" (38)
I loved sounding this one! Such excellent choices in the words you picked — excellent for being spoken aloud. By the way, that’s kind of ironic given the first line, isn’t it?
The poem also seems to me to punch home the obsession word-crafting can turn into. Punch it home.
Change of subjects — Sharon, do you enjoy poetry prompts? I put one up this week for the first time. A rather unconventional prompt. Haven’t seen one like it before. Please feel no obligation to pick it up and run with it. Just that I want you to have the option of doing so, if that’s what you wish.
https://cafephilos.blog/2019/03/09/pauls-poetry-prompt-for-boys-girls-and-them-that-be-wild-or-domestic-animals/
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Paul, thank you for your thoughtful comments. I appreciate that you spent so much time considering my poem. I’ve always felt poetry should be read aloud, and I do read my own as I write. I wrote the last line of this one first, then the first line, and all the rest fell between, so the irony was there from the beginning.
I’m not much for prompts of any kind but now I’m curious so I’ll be over to your blog shortly and we’ll see what comes of it. At least I’ll have the pleasure of reading your recent posts.
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Sharon, you have a bad night there and need to find a cure.
You say: ” The pages lie empty but the story beckons for attention “.
Do you not think that writing passionately, madly will cure some and you will fall
asleep like Eros.
miriam
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You’ve suggested a rather complicated solution to my quandary, Miriam. I’ll have to think about this for a while. First, I’ve suffered from insomnia all my life but not every night, and I have a cache of meditative solutions that often work. As for Eros – the subject of the sculpture wasn’t lost on me, nor the fact that this one looks like a sleepy little boy who may not know the extent of his meddling, and that a night of passion of any persuasion sometimes leads to a long sleep. I am a worrier. Also a writer. We’ll have to leave it at that for now. Thank you for your comments, as always.
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I can relate 😥 💜
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I’m not sure if this a good thing or a bad one, but I wish you sleep – and worthy writing.
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Thanks, I used to be a good 7hr a night sleep women but over the last couple of years I’m struggling to hit 5hrs. My doctor is screening for medical causes this week as this is one of many concerns about my health I’ve got.
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I’m sorry to hear of your health worries and hope the screening reveals the root of the problems as well as a strategy for getting well. All my best to you. Let me know how it goes.
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Living through our characters and words. Such an amazing depiction of what writers go through when we submerge our souls into our manuscripts. I have lost many a night’s sleep doing just that,
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It doesn’t surprise me, Andrew, that you would totally understand. I know you’re working hard on your book and hope you’re making the progress you want to achieve. At least snow and cold are good reasons for huddling down to write.
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Of course I would understand. I have lost hours of sleep just thinking about the right response for a character or a trait to fits my story.
Snow and cold are good reasons to never get out of bed. LOL
Hope you are well.
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Snow and cold are good reasons to never get out of bed. Giggling over here. Yes, I’m well, thank you, and I hope you are also.
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Sad the vacation is over. Other than that all is well. Thanks.
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On the other hand, we need a more common life against which to compare visions of paradise – like vacations.
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Exactly……pouting anyway
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Quick cure – stand on your head – pout is now a smile. ): 🙂
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LOL . Thanks
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Well done! I am now depressed. Sigh…
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Jacqui, I can’t see why you, who write so much, so beautifully, and are so well organized, would feel depressed about this poem. Or did you mean that you relate?
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If you didn’t live in your books you might gasp for awhile until you found a new passion.
Passion, I believe, is a state of being not a state of “focus”. You are one of the MOST passionate people I know . . . it’s rather incurable I think.
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Thank you, Judy, I like your description of passion. Some people would simply say I’m very opinionated.
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Perhaps opinion is passion voiced out loud
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I think it’s a position on a controversial topic.
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Not much keeps me awake, unless I’m planning my own wedding (in 2013)… between neck and foot pain I sleep in the drug-induced state of ibuprofen bliss these nights! I have had dreams about blogging though. 😁
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So familiar – I often take Advil and that usually helps. But dreams about blogging – oh my. That would take the wind out of my sails. 😀
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I really love that second verse Sharon, so well put. I’m currenlty ignoring both the washing up and the fact that tonight’s dinner needs cooking — I’ve been painting instead, flames and a pheonix, nearly finished…………
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Creation – always the first entity!
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Sharon, I could relate to this! We writers tend to obsess about our current projects, and once finished obsess about the next one. (“Engorged” with ideas – I love that!) And the insomnia! (I’m running on four hours of sleep last night….) It seems to pay off though, for you – I certainly enjoy all your posts. Hope you get some rest tonight!
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Me too – sleep tonight, that is. Thank you, Betty.
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So beautifully expressed, I read it over quite a few times. It kept pulling me back. Simple and yet so lovely. As an artist I can totally relate to all of this. But of course you put it all so eloquently. And I do like the accompanying sculpture too.
Peta
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Thank you, Peta. Coming from a person like you whom I so admire, your comment means a lot to me.
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This sounds very familiar, Shari. I have had spells of insomnia throughout the years – usually when there’s lots of stress – and either don’t find the time to eat which would at least give me energy to make it through the day, or I eat stuff that’s not actually good for you. And if there’s a blank page staring at you it makes it even worse.
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Unfortunately stress adds to insomnia and insomnia creates more stress. It’s up to me to make significant changes and feel better all around. Be well, dear friend.
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we writers – no one else can understand us lol
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But some of them still love us. 😀
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indeed ❤
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Gorgeous!
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Thank you, Rivka.
I should mention that “Rivka” is the name of my main character in the first adult novel I wrote, The Inlaid Table.
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