I could pretend to be asleep
Pretty easily, wrapped up
With sheets and distracted
By dreams, breathing deeply.

I could explain what it is to be
Comfortable, forgetting common
sense and getting caught up in realities
that slip away with the covers.

I could define words like "snore",
"rest", or "relax", but it seems
That when I seek to end the day
The finish line looks a bit dreary:

Another day of the same people,
The same fears, the same problems,
and the same yearning for something
I don't even recognize.

Walking in yesterdays footprints
so closely that with practice
I may be able to step on
My own heels.

I could go to sleep I suppose,
But I fear that might bring
Another day.
So for now, I'll stay awake.