I Wake. I Sleep Poem by Radhika Karia

I wake. I brush. I scrub. I pay.
I earn. I learn. I tire. I sleep.
I go to sleep today.

I may not sleep, till dusk to dawn,
If i am planning out my pawn.
I may not agree, who won or lost
If all that's left is, cost.

I may not tire, till i am punched away,
Though it happened only yesterday.
I may not be, the man i forgive,
Though i am learning how to give.

Damn I wake. I brush. I scrub. I pay.
I earn. I learn. I tire. I sleep.
I go to sleep today.

I may not sleep, till i am washed to ground,
But that was where, i was found.
I may not learn, with my own two eyes,
But stories, also have goodbyes.

I may not earn, that piece of bread,
For i gave, my love instead.
I may not walk the same, as all,
For i gave it my hardest fall.

But I wake. I brush. I scrub. I pay.
I earn. I learn. I tire. I sleep.
I go to sleep today.

I may not sleep, for all the greed,
Is where, i am planting my seed.
I may not pay heed to, whom i obey,
Is where, i still have no better say.

I may not scrub, my own two ears,
While i can only count the years.
I may not be the man i am shown,
While i try to understand her tone.

Still I wake. I brush. I scrub. I pay.
I earn. I learn. I tire. I sleep.
I go to sleep today.

I may not sleep, to brush my teeth,
By noon i will sink beneath.
I may not hurt, the heart i promise.
By the end, it doesn't matter, who i miss.

I may not wake, i fear the most,
When i have one more thing to toast.
I may not sleep... then i may not know,
When i can wake, to perish or grow.