Stopwatch Children

Keep Your Eyes Open

Keep Your Eyes Open

Pinch, fill, lick, twist, and repeat. Pinch, fill, lick, twist, and remember to keep your eyes open, repeat.

Not all that complicated to roll a joint but for some reason I've had to do this a lot more often than my stiff fingers would like. My body is heavy and my eyes dry but I continue my hands separate from my tired mind.

Pinch, fill, lick, twist, and repeat. My vision swims and my head droops.

No! Remember to keep your eyes open, repeat.

My head screams in protest my joints creak but I stand and go to the window. Open; take out screen, hands on sill, breath. Cold air brushes damp skin raising microscopic hairs pimpling my soft flesh. Mind reeling, legs shaking, body ready to fail, no sleep yet; can't allow it. Not sure why, can't remember why. . . Shake it off sit, pinch, fill, lick, twist, and repeat.

Bones screaming I do a jump one more-higher- heart pumping, blood flowing, breath ragged, skin damp. Go to the mirror, breath, look up. Skin white like chalk, eyes dark like the sky, most unsettling bags under that are so dark it makes me wonder if I've really been sleeping for the past two days.

I remember!

Eyes wide go to window again, hands on sill, remember breath. Sleeping like a coma making mother worry, sister pounding on the door; it all comes back. Hospital called but my heart is still beating, hands to your chest make sure. Breath. How are you still so tired after being dead to the world?

Remember eyes open, pick up, light, inhale, breath. Stay grounded eyes open.

Pinch, fill, lick, twist, and repeat. Pinch, fill, lick, twist, repeat, and remember to keep your eyes open.

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