I open my eyes
alert my ears,
it is dark,
and I am tired,
but my plight is stronger than that.
I can hear her downstairs,
the television a low hum.
I rush from bed,
grab my dressing gown,
and quietly creep down the stairs,
pausing at my vantage point.
Between the balustrades,
i hover,
listening out for another voice.
I squint to see through the gap
in the living room door.
Tonight, I am in luck-
She is alone.
I creep through the doorway
as she turns to see
that it is me.
“I can’t sleep,” I say.
“I was having nightmares again.
Could I just stay here for a moment?”
She moves her legs from the sofa,
makes a space for me.
I quickly take it,
lean into her soft, plump body,
and close my eyes.
I stay like that-
Terrified
that the slightest movement
might send me back
to the shadows of my room.
I hope she forgets I am there,
lets me stay
nestled in her scent,
wrapped in the warmth
of her presence.
