I can feel the exhaustion digging into my bones
Seeping through the joints and twisting through the cracks
I can feel it ooze between my cells and pour from eyes like tears
Slipping between my teeth and spilling out the sides
"What do you possibly have to be tired about? You're young! You have no reason to be tired!"
The adults' hiss, anger roiling off them like tidal waves
What could I be tired of?
Maybe it's the yelling that bounces around in my head at odd hours
Or the cuts that mar and burn my skin like brands
Or the annoyed sighs hissing between clicking teeth
Or the eye rolls that shoot to the ceiling like guns
Perhaps it's the reluctant acceptance
The kind that makes you feel guilty for even saying anything
Or it could be the numb melancholy of another failed test
The kind that keeps you awake at night with sadness rolling in your stomach
Or
Maybe I'm just tired of waking up
and instantly wanting to go back to sleep
Perhaps I'm tired of the expectations
Of your wants trumping my own
Of your desires trumping my needs

Or

Maybe it's just another sleepless night.