Have you ever wondered, as you lay in bed, about the shadow of sleep? Thought about how every room, every apartment, every house around you has shut out its lights and every soul within them has laid themselves down to sleep? It doesn't matter whether they are in their beds or passed out on a couch, just the thought that they are all lost to the conscious world. That the TV has been turned off, the computer closed, the front doors locked, and the lights hushed. Silence has enveloped the world about us, leaving nothing but whispers and sighs of drowsiness. In only a few hours beeping and vibrating will awaken all these aching bodies. Birds will sing and cars will roar. And no one will be able to hear the distant trains carrying their ghost cargo. We all lie here in our beds, lost to worry and stress except for that which pervades our dreams and causes us to toss and turn. We lie here, unified in the idea that despite the craziness of life sooner or later one must lay their body down and rest. We lie here under our blankets and sheets, with our comforters of both fabric and loved ones' grasps. We lie here, content to let go and breathe peace. To allow the earth to rest our heads, our thoughts, and our hearts. To sleep.
