Mornings at 5:00 am

Another sleepless night.

I’ve been awake since 3:30 am.

I picked up this awful habit about a year ago.

My Grandmother suffers from it.

So does my mother,

my sister,

now me. 

A habit passed down through generations,

a chronic illness.

Can one suffer from 

chronic sleep deprivation?

It all seems worth it though.

Being awake while the rest of 

the world around me sleeps.

It’s a privilege to know the night so 

intimately.

The sun is beginning to rise.

That’s the best part.

A new day dawns allowing you to 

leave your mistakes of yesterday behind,

bringing forgiveness.

I can no longer tell the difference 

between the birds in my soundscape 

and the ones nested in the trees 

outside my bedroom window. 

I used to fear the night,

Thinking she would swallow me whole,

exposing parts of me I never wanted to know.

But, oh, was I wrong.

She is my biggest confidant.

To her, I share my most vulnerable self

And in return,

She gifts me with the 

Rising sun.

s.t.

By Savvy Tester