Sleeping Beauty

Five years ago, the pills had chased away the voices,
the noises, that kept twirling drunk, then bouncing off the walls;
feeding on the brightness of her sleepless nights,
bloodshot eyes, they loved to taste the fatigue hidden in red.

Four months ago, people told her, “you’ve done good,”
“Look, your skin is glowing”, “Jenny, you look great,”
Lies, she knew for the noises might’ve faded, voices gone—
yawn, the sleepless nights became silent ones, too.

Three weeks ago, she’d begun to miss those sounds
Crowned by defeat that trudges after victory,
she launched into a regal wail that maybe filled the void,
a ploy to let the echo keep her shadows company.

Two days ago, she tossed those pills out the window,
glow, they did, galvanized by desperation and a ‘you’ll-regret-this’
The clattering of their fall was like lightning breaking sky,
pry the darkness open, let the chaos commence:

An hour ago, she tossed and turned, leg out, leg in
Bringing the blanket over her eyes, practiced habits from a nightly routine
The voices returned, they cackled in joy
‘Boy, what a lullaby’, she hummed along

She finally closed her eyes.