14 ways to play hide & seek sleep (& avoid nightmares)
-
palm & pocket platters of lukewarm potato (mashed) & pâté (smashed)
-
apply balm of vanilla (tubed) and cafe latte (tombed)
-
peak under quilted covers of checkered gingham and navy plaid fleece
-
sneak over (then abandon) quarreling lovers of checkered pasts and wavy futures
-
cover curious collections of rainbow glass trinkets that taunt
-
reveal calming collections of foggy glass thimbles that flaunt
-
track futures. trick pasts. avoid counting trucks.
-
snack on antioxidant-rich letters of A. E, I, O & U (especially IOUs)
-
snitch on casual forgetters
-
stock nutrient-rich letters of B, C (calcium), M (magnesium), & D
-
stir favored recollections flavored of county fairies (caramel corn & cotton candy)
-
dispel & dispose (cuisinart / dyson / ____) recollections peppered of county jails
(congealed corn & expired candy) -
count. ships of many seas. sheep of many wools. shoes of many heels. hinges of
many histories. heal. inhale. exhale. heal. inhale. exhale. -
discount. recount. metabolic meters of mainstream metrics. wrap arms
around/over/of limbs tight. avoid light. avoid cliches. sleep tight. good night.
Jen Schneider is an educator who lives, writes, and works in small spaces throughout Pennsylvania. She is a Best of the Net nominee, with stories, poems, and essays published in a wide variety of literary and scholarly journals. She is the author of Invisible Ink (order at Toho Publishing), On Daily Puzzles: (Un)locking Invisibility (forthcoming, Moonstone Press), and Blindfolds, Bruises, and Breakups (forthcoming, Atmosphere Press).