“Breaking the Pattern”
by
Lauren Russ
We embraced a pattern of seeking slumber while surrounded by lights and sounds
Every evening the same rhythm of gestures is laid out on our bed like a quilt
I reach out to touch your temple and you invite me in for the night’s embrace
A synthetic sky blue cascades over our bodies in the dark
But I never sleep
The sounds of memories of other people’s stories bounce around the walls of our room
They ricochet into the walls of my heart
Tonight I turn off the television
A desperate dash from the regularly scheduled program of partnered practices
The silence envelopes me as I greet the absence of pixelated starlight
I fall asleep
Featured Photo by Zhen Hong on Unsplash
