Sleep eludes me
And I begin to
Retrace memories,
Tasting the experiences,
Painting different outcomes,
Waiting for the light of day.
The box fan murmurs,
Playing the soundtrack,
Making melodies
For my mental album.
A 5-year-old shares my pillow.
Arms over my neck,
Legs thrown over me,
Soft snores and mumbles,
And the sweet smell
Of an innocent new life.
Where would I be
Without the presence of
These little ones
Loving me,
Holding me,
Healing me?
I toss every so often
Finding comfort in the now.
I trace over the past
Weaving it to all that is,
All that I’ve become as
The box fan murmurs…
“Let God. Let it go.”
I hear the melodies in the room.
The sounds of ancestral chatter,
Each whispering through
The cycling of the fan.
Life happens in this second,
During sleepless nights
As murmurs echo round and round.
Millie America 5/2022
Moments with Millie 