Stories tagged “insomnia”
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Sleepless
Cindy loved her husband, and the dog. She wanted to love sharing a bed with them both just as much. Sometimes she did; but, as she shoved aside the tiny body curled up on her back and burrowed her head deeper under the pillow that failed miserably as a...
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An Obscene Hour
“Six-thirty in the morning is an obscene hour,” he says, staring out the window at the golden-lit trees. “It’s an obscene hour no matter which side of th day you’re coming at it from.” “Of course,” you sa...
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Gamer
I was awake staring at the screen until eye-strained tears blearied my vision and my muscles forgot to blink to clear them away. Stiff neck. Empty stomach. Twitchy mousefinger. 5:38am. I got up to use the bathroom a few minutes ago. But that was actual...
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Jack and the Box
His breath rattled from his throat, fogging the mirror on the medicine cabinet. Jack clutched the counter, white-knuckled, spilling pills onto the floor as he struggled to stay in the coherent world. The nightly battle between sleep and medication was ...
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Quinine and Lime
Til I’ve had a gin and tonic, I can’t sleep. I used to worry that it made me an alcoholic, but there’s something about the slightly bitter taste of tonic water mixed generously with dry gin and a twist of lime that calms the mind. One...
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Elsewhere Memories
He lay awake that night – listening to the sound of her soft, steady breathing – a gentle sighing as the rain fell like tiny feet running over the canvas. She was so like her it was uncanny – her smile, her laugh, the way she looked a...
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Two-second Bubbles
Brian woke up with a jolt, a film of saliva covering the left side of his mouth. “Five minutes until the end of class,” Mr. Faulkner announced. “I’ll be collecting your tests at that time.” Tests? Brian very clearly rememb...
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Haiku Week Haiku #3
It’s almost midnight. My eyes reflect a white screen. Damn insomnia.
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The Dream
As I turned I saw her staring down at me. She reached out a hand and said something. I could not hear her, but I could see the words. Her beautiful lips mouthing her love for me. As I turned again my tears were carried off into the breeze. The ocean be...
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Hello Peace
Hello, Peace, It’s been a while Since you stepped through my door. Can’t say I haven’t missed you. Life without you’s been a war. Been up late, Excuse the bags That rest beneath my eyes. Your absence has disturbed my sleep Fille...
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Insomnia poem
It’s late at night & I can’t sleep I’ve switched off the light & I’ve tried counting sheep. That’s not odd for me, I’m from Aberdeen, where men & sheep are frequently seen. I want to go to the land of dreams,...
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So This Is Tranquil
He prescribes a higher dose, like it’s going help. A little chicken scratch on a slip of paper and I’m going to be all better. He drops the pad back into his perfect pristine white coat pocket and smiles, maybe genuinely, and slaps me on he...
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Take
After the first time, he tried to get out, but that distracted him, made him forget what he was doing. Soon he’d given up and fallen asleep again, only to wake up in horror. Then, he tried pacing. But after a while he felt silly and sat down. Onl...
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The Thirty-Seventh Step
The graphic designer walked dejectedly down the hall. It had happened again. He’d gotten another job with work that wasn’t his. But he couldn’t figure out who it belonged to either- he’d tried everything! Website after website c...
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Still Awake After All These Years (A Tribute to Jack LaLanne)
It’s 2am. Jack LaLanne is on TV, still selling that damn juicer. Dude’s got to be over 90. Funny; he doesn’t look a day over 75. Now, he’s juicing a potato. Seriously. Who the hell wants to drink a potato? Tasty, starchy potato ...
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Dear Diary
Dear diary. Well, the good news is that, after six days, I finally got some sleep. The bad news is that I passed out at work while helping a customer. It gets better. I woke up in the hospital. Apparently, I brought a whole shelf of canned goods with m...
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Waiting
That night, there was no cold. No cool breeze to tickle her the wrong way. No moon, to shine on her face and brightly, in her eyes. There was no one beside her, to toss and turn, to push and pull her away and close at a whim, to murmur and loudly snore...
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Alone in the Middle of a City
I lay in my bed in the early morning; 1:38 glares at me from the face of my alarm clock. My hands crossed behind my head, the ceiling hasn’t changed since I lay down. Thoughts run around and around my head, keeping me awake long after the rest of...