Awake In The Fog Poem by Micron Jan

My body bargains hard with gravity,
muscles slacken, bones feel weak,
shoulders slump in quiet defeat,
as rest commands what I can't speak.
I crave my sleep, but life says stay.

My eyes burn low, then blur, then plead,
heavy doors that shake and sway,
each slow blink a whispered need
to drift, to dark, to slip away.
I crave my sleep, but life says stay.

My head is stuffed with cotton wool,
thoughts move slow, muffled, gray,
focus fades, the fog is full,
each idea frays, then floats astray.
I crave my sleep, but life says stay.

My hands forget what they once knew,
fingers lag, commands delay,
mind and body out of sync and blue,
systems dim, begin to fray.
I crave my sleep, but life says stay.

My breath goes thin, my heartbeat dull,
saving strength it cannot spare,
every nerve says stop it all,
lie down, vanish, stop the care.
I crave my sleep, but life says stay.

So here I stand, though barely held,
not strong, not sharp, not bright or brave,
just choosing motion through the haze,
still upright, still not a slave.
I crave my sleep, but life says stay.