Insomnia

This is what caused it.

If I could no longer read or write,
I would speak my grocery list to the heavens
And shop at twilight in an open air market,
Looking to the sky to see
If I needed milk or peas
As though the stars were letters on an inky blue page.

The leaves above would serve as my abacus.
Adding the smiles of my grandchildren
To subtract the worry lines on my face.
The notes of the birds' songs
Heard through the open window at daybreak
Would make the need of sheet music obsolete.

If I could no longer read or write,
I would compose my love a letter
With soft fingers inscribing my devotion and trust on his skin.
And the warm gaze of his eyes into mine
Would be the only romance novel
To have a place on my bedside stand.

~Susan D~

Cheep sleep therapy

David swears that since the day I brought home the baby chicks I have been sleeping like a normal human being. You have to know that I have suffered from middle-of-the-night insomnia for probably twenty years or longer. I didn't keep tabs. I think he has something here. I'm actually going to bed around 10:00 p.m. and, except for a couple of trips to the bathroom, sleeping until the alarm goes off. Prior to getting the chicks, if I woke up to go pee, that would be it for me. As soon as the brain had one teensy-weensy thought, I was wide awake. It's a family curse. My mom had it and so does my niece, Debbie. I would do this four or five nights in a row and then sleep on the fifth or sixth night because of sheer exhaustion. I'm telling you, it was taking a toll on my health.

So, why this amazing transormation? They say that having pets helps you stay calm and lowers your blood pressure. But I've had cats and dogs for decades and they had no effect on my sleeplessness. Being under a lot of stress obviously adds to the problem and those of you who know me personally will understand why that most likely has been a factor. Something about watching the baby chicks and now the almost-grown pullets and cockeral has allowed my brain to disengage from the vagaries of life.

Whatever it is, I'm glad it's there. It's better than any sleep medication I've ever taken. Perhaps I will open my own sleep clinic. When a client comes in for help, I'll just tell them, "Take two chicks and call me in the morning."