I. SOMNAMBULISM
i once convinced you the house was on fire
and you slept-walked to the door with the dog in your arms
attempting to usher me away from the flames that only existed in our shared subconscious
II. SLEEP TERRORS
i woke to your hand around my throat
a cool room
the bed on the floor surrounded with
cans, receipts, dirty clothes, and spare change
i gazed at the ceiling light fixture
a clear globe striated like a candy dish
with a dead fly trapped inside, slightly off-center
a map of the US instead of a headboard
glimpses of town names I’d never heard of
tried to envision the places and people
i found our city on the map
and trusted
the terror would pass
