it's never easy to sleep in strange beds
though there've been plenty of motels and strangers
my therapist suggests a fear of falling
but how can that be with a repetitive history
of grazed knees and twisted ankles -  not to mention
some heart stopping moments in love 

besides there's the thrill of sudden descent
in heavy pill popping moments before oblivion
but last night I tell her it was just prescription dose
and a dream of a squat red bird by a round house
the door led to an interior, murky garden
I saw an an androgynous person kneeling
untangling briar roses, oblivious to me or the dead arm
stuck out of the soil with a handful of red berries 

we untangle the dream as if symbols can speak
clearer than merging anxieties of falling apart in intimacy
of cardinal birds and sin and an invitation in the dead hand
I wonder why did I overlook the part of the dream
of boots on a ledge over cold comfort waters

8 thoughts on “Falling asleep”

1. Powerful words, Laura, that had me teetering on the ledge. Also worrying as I’m about to embark on 3 nights in a strange bed. “Who knows what dreams may come…” 🙂

   1. dispense with the stranger and am sure you’ll have sweeter dreams then Tish 😉

2. There are many kinds of falling and you portray a number of them so well. This was hard-hitting and haunting.

   1. ‘hard-hitting and haunting’ – I like that -thank-you Freya (lovely name by the way)

      1. You’re welcome! And thank you.

3. Indeed, one mysterious dream…deep…

4. that closing line is not a good one to sleep on ;~)

   I’ll read on …

   1. and dream on Diana – it’s no wonder sleep can be so difficult.

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