Yes, I’m up, again
At twenty past three
Hyper-vigilant, ever-anxious.
Is my body stuck in this
state due to hormones?
I try box breathing,
visualizing calm tides, to no relief.
An hour ago when I first stirred
I had crept to the window to assess the status
of the incoming snow storm.
I glanced, deflated, at what seemed
yet but a thick dusting;
Last morning’s beignets had more powder
than do the bushes that line our drive.
But it’s not precipitation
from the mega storm
sweeping the states
that has me awake and on-alert.
My mind turns and churns
grasping for any sense in
what is unfolding.
How many will never
have their stories told?
My heart hurts.
My primordial nervous system tells me:
Stand at attention
Scan the periphery
Don’t lose focus
Beware of bears—in battalions.
