Abide by Night

July 16, 2015March 22, 2022 Jason Preui hear the secrets that you keep when you kung-fu me in your sleep, poem, poetry, writing

For years, I have kicked you while we slept
under covers, in a pre-dawn echoing
with cries from preying owls.

For years, you’ve abided my midnight, REM-reflex shots to your
side, buttocks, shins, thighs.

I fight with my dreams: assassins and kidnappers and thieves and liars and thugs and hateful, hate-filled hate-oids bearing down upon me, you, everyone.

I kick and punch and bite and grapple but they keep coming.

And, when I wake, it is you in pain.

Still, you abide.

You do not strike back.

You know what dreams have come.

Now, you’re surrounded by a cocoon of pillows:
large, small, square and cylindrical.

You feel protected.
You feel isolated.
You abide.

And I kick you while we sleep.

7 thoughts on “Abide by Night”

Marissa Bergen says:

My husband just has these fits where he shakes the whole bed during REM. I think it’s time for king sized beds!

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July 16, 2015 at 4:19 pm Reply
1. jdoublep says:
  
  Whoa!
  
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  July 16, 2015 at 10:43 pm Reply
  1. Marissa Bergen says:
    
    You’re telling me!! I feel like I’m on a storm out at sea…desperately holding on to the mattress…which could be a good thing if I wasn’t trying to sleep!!
    
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    July 17, 2015 at 1:22 pm Reply
griter4 says:

I’m thinking of my cousin who crashes with me…. I’m suspecting he wrote this poem…. Awesome imagery though .

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August 2, 2015 at 7:19 am Reply
sofiakioroglou says:

Awesome!

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August 3, 2015 at 4:37 pm Reply
martinchristine95 says:

I like your writing style. It grabbed me and also scared me a bit. That’s when writing affects me. Thank you.

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August 6, 2015 at 2:02 am Reply
1. jdoublep says:
  
  Good! And thanks.
  
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  August 6, 2015 at 3:58 am Reply