Lakeside Insomnia

I. (prosaic)

The quiet begged me, “Go outside,” and so I stumbled through the door and down the lawn to hear some more: “Sit down, sit here.”  I hadn’t known the moon was out and almost full, and shining bright, and so I sat and stared at it on lakeward steps.

The moonlight calmed, it was enough, and yet the voice encouraged me, “And what if you slide down this tread?”  The water called. So without pause I stretched one foot, and into silky blackness stepped, and then the other followed suit.  They both submerged.

Then oddly, I felt linked somehow, and part of heaven, part of earth, and very small and yet so safe, as if made whole.  A timeless time, alive with hope, and moonlight’s look lifting me up, and lake bed sand earthing my toes: a comfort thing.

I sensed my place as caught between, (and grounded well with wetted sand, and soul-transformed with moon’s own gaze), awash with peace.  Then unannounced, the voice returned, and bid me leave this kairos spot, and enter house and time again: “Goodnight, now sleep.”

II. (poetic)

 The quiet begged me, “Go outside,”

And so I stumbled through the door,

And down the lawn to hear some more:

“Sit down, sit here.”

I hadn’t known the moon was out,

And almost full, and shining bright,

And so I sat and stared at it

On lakeward steps.

The moonlight calmed, it was enough,

And yet the voice encouraged me,

“And what if you slide down this tread?”

The water called.

So without pause I stretched one foot,

And into silky blackness stepped,

And then the other followed suit.

They both submerged.

Then oddly, I felt linked somehow,

And part of heaven, part of earth,

And very small and yet so safe,

As if made whole.

A timeless time, alive with hope,

And moonlight’s look lifting me up,

And lake bed sand earthing my toes:

A comfort thing.

I sensed my place as caught between,

(And grounded well with wetted sand,

And soul-transformed by moon’s own gaze),

Awash with peace.

Then unannounced, the voice returned,

And bid me leave this kairos spot,

And enter house and time again:

“Goodnight, now sleep.”