once upon a time
I used to stay awake all night
reading
watching television
occupying myself with some
seemingly important task
only to find myself observing
the subtle changes
in the room

the walls would lighten from
black to dark blue
sparkling
only because Mom threw glitter paint
on it once they moved in
I would crawl out onto the balcony
& feel the cool morning breeze
summertime in Kansas can get wicked hot
but the mornings feel heavenly



it is so quiet


I feel like I'm the only one in the world
who's awake
but then a cattle truck will
drive by
& you can hear all the people
start to shuffle in their
beds
wakened by the slightest
inclement of impending chaos
that drives their will
to live
in this tiny, economically
forsaken town




I don't stay up all night anymore
it brings out the evil
in me