Insomnia Poem by Juan Olivarez

Laying awake it's two in the morn,
Tossing and turning left and right.
There is no reason to be so forlorn,
I reach for the lamp, and turn on the light.

So many thoughts rush through my head,
Of how things will be when I get back home.
There is no reason to stay in my bed,
I walk out to the desert, just to be alone.

The sky is so clear, all the stars are out,
The coyotes are howling, off in the hills.
I really wouldn't mind, staying here abouts,
But I'm getting tired of this test of wills.

I deserve the respect, a father should have,
Don't like walking on egg shells round here.
Can't do anything, not even laugh,
It's just so hard to stifle these tears.

I love the desert, but I just can't stay,
I'm in a place I just don't belong.
I'll come back to visit, maybe, someday,
How in the world did things go so wrong.

5/15/10 29 palms ca.