I stare into the dark, haunting room.

Each breath refuses to lull me into sleep.

How many sheep till the sun rises?

Seconds become minutes, minutes become hours.

I toss and turn with restless thoughts

that repeat with endless cycles.

Drawn to my anxiety and fears.

Of worry about the future and regret of the past.

Of conversations I feared to have.

The house is quiet; my mind is loud.

Thoughts of what I never got done.

I tell myself tomorrow will be better

and promise myself sleep that never comes.

Ghosts that lurk in the shadows.

Even darkness feels too bright.

Nightmares flood my wakefulness.

I become my own worst enemy.

I stare at the clock in hypnotic silence.

I become an expert in robotic motion

and exhaustion without sleep.

When morning finally hits after a night of eternity,

it will find me hollow-eyed and void of emotion.

Carrying with me the weight of deprivation,

and another day to survive.