Awakening

Awakening Came awake. Silent stygian darkness, Lit only by the pale, yellow night light far down the hallway And the harsh stark whiteness of the beside alarm dial. The stuttering staccato of beats seeming to shake the chest where they live, Single, sometimes paired-waiting for their entrance to overwhelm what is there. The rigor is mild but unmistakable felt under the coverlets As you try with your feet to unravel the layers for more warmth and cover. The world turns slowly at night within the confines of your space, Protected from without, but not from within, where the fever lives.