On nights like these, I wander
Through the house like a ghost,
Silent and sleepless, moving
Nothing and no one, hiding behind
The lights that are not noticed.

The chatter of the world is
Calmed to late night reflection,
A mere background to the ringing
Of teenage nights that has
Faded to form my silence.

There is life in the world, though:
Too much life for me to
Begin to imagine, so many
Hearts and minds moving
As I try to become stationary.

But that is all so far away,
Beyond the walls that
Surround me on all sides, beyond
The sleep that I deny myself,
Beyond my outstretched heart.

10/31/2023

Posted on 12/19/2023
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