Give me peace this night

[Day 19 of the 31 Days of Poetry]

Give me peace this night, 

that I might face the morning light 
with some small measure of courage. 
The days have been brutal, not likely to change, 
pinned down in a trench between Enemies and Expectations, 
not enough bullets to make a charge or withstand the next assault. 
But that's life, you're always in over your head. I can handle it, or at least I could.


If I could ever relax. 


I need time spent 
where I'm not dwelling on the turmoil 
of what happened that day, the pressure of what 
will happen the next. I need meals where I can enjoy the food, 
savor the taste and not have my chest turn to fire the rest of the night. 
Mostly, I need sleep. I need to turn off my brain from the unending onslaught 
of worry, fear, and scathing self-loathing. I need tension to pour out of my body, 
so I can give in to exhaustion and have a few precious hours without thought or care. 


Tomorrow will burst on the scene soon enough, 
filled with calamities and untold horrors. I don't know how 
I can stand against the tide, but I will do it anyway, just as I have 
always done, and will always continue to do, until I'm at last swept away. 
But I need strength. I need some small core of grace, a reserve to hang onto. 


So, please, give me peace this night. 












See the full 2011 Edition of the 31 Days of Poetry




See the 2010 edition of the 31 Days of Poetry




Return to the Hyperion Empire Home Page