Exhaustion can creep up on you
When you stand by your window late at night
Staring into the black softness of the sky
When the light pollution from these city streets
Punched black eyes on stars,
Reflecting you and exhaustion can creep up on you
And muzzle, nuzzle you.
Being exhausted to the point of grayness
Washed out like old laundry
Rat tail and hung outside
Where wind make no sound
Compared with traffic.
A car screech.
Exhaustion is deaf, or it makes you deaf-
Becoming a physical thing
I dreamed it would be this-
Awake-
Wide awake-
I’m tired- so tired
I can barely keep my eyes open,
Wary for the exhaustion,
But still it comes
Creeping low on its belly.
grupp1@stolaf.edu
