my sleep paralysis demons
create a makeshift shadow
i often see with
my widely-open eyes:
your thumb rubbing against
the lines imprinted in my palm,
drizzling midnight footsteps
on calloused city pavements,
moist on my eyeglasses
from the fighting cold weather
and the warmth of
your gentle breathing,
synching feet in the trails
they take, humming birds
in the periphery of things,
regina caeli, tachycardia,
my acid reflux, 30 kph signs
then 20, yellow bell hanging
above my head, i love you,
i miss you—
or am I dreaming?