Sleep Again

By Siddhitells

The dark of the night is comfortably bright

Darkness for the sake of it, brightness for the sake of it

Enough to order for sleep, enough for a stroll in the mind

I too take such strolls, especially when others are asleep

Dodging hands and legs of snoring bodies glowing in the dim light

I check and recheck the gas knob if it’s switched off

Hands again move across the stove, checking for leakage

Just to be sure

I also check and check again the latches on the main door

There is a safety door, a double lock and chain too.

Everything rests in its position,

I still open it all to lock it again

I just have to be extra sure

Of course as soundlessly as possible

Going to the wash basin next,

I wash the door off my hands

Wash them again now having touched the tap

Closing it shut with the elbow

How else can we possibly die?

I absolutely need to be sure. To deserve sleep

I check around for breathing chests and snoring nostrils

I count them and count them again

Thinking of the gas knob,

I decide to peep and check it yet again

But I hear the sound of water instead

Did I leave the tap on? I rush towards the basin

The tap is shut

Somebody is in the washroom though

Finally I ask myself- are we done?

And place my head slowly on the pillow

All I can hear now is the ceiling fan

Its soft humid air pouring generously on the skin

While sweat beads gather on the forehead

And I think of sleep

Deep, dark, practiced sleep

That blesses me at this hour generally

I hope to find it today as well

After I have felt worthy of it

Sleep waits

Until the sounds fade out

For me to heal in its short lived nothingness

I wake up just to be sure and sleep again

By Siddhitells