Every night I wake up in the dark
My shoulder’s uneasy while I sleep
If I let the other shoulder bear the load
Then I can sleep again
I’m ready for the nightly encore
After I say my prayers
On the concrete floor and
Tilt the round space heater towards my kid brother,
And after falling asleep in the comfortable shine
Of my green, never-failing alarm clock
My shoulder starts to whine
The clock says 3:05
And I see a blue white glow
Of a computer screen through the frame
Of where a wall will be
I can see my father
At his desk with nothing to distract him
From bearing a load of worry
that won’t let him sleep
But I can sleep
So I roll over
Back into the dark
Onto the other shoulder
And fall back asleep.
