“to float”

by Imogen. L. Smiley

I lay each night suspended over a tepid mattress.

Can’t my dreams wash me over like the coming tides and

Drown my unconscious mind, leave it unable to breathe? 

My mind whirls under the gaze of a flickering moon,

Demons crawling from their nests in empty mugs and discarded socks

They thrive in the debris of my shipwrecked room, and 

Know how to keep the mind submerged in thought.

How do I reach the shores of dawn?

To survive another sleepless night, must I 

Swim in a stagnant mind. 

Imogen. L. Smiley (she/her) is a twenty-three-year-old writer from Essex, UK. She has anxiety, depression, and an endless love of dogs, especially big ones! You can support her by following her on Twitter and Instagram at @Imogen_L_Smiley.