With the flap of the mini blinds
or the eerie movement of the curtains,
in the shadows of the oddly shaped lamp
and the headlights of the cars passing by
eyelashes fluttered open and fought off sleep.
Perfection is an expectation from
those who loved her most
and from whose judging eyes
she shielded her true personality.
Those whose needs vary with the circumstances
never define perfection the same way twice.
Thus, no time for sleep.
Convinced she could be who they needed
she stumbled herself through a race
no one was meant to win.
She smiled, she grinned, laughed at jokes,
and bowed her head appropiately in times of crisis
when her own tears had abandoned her.
But, some rocks are bigger than others
and out of spite they have cursed her,
casting shadows of their plight at her heels.
Running faster wasnt an option,
for there was no time to tire out, no time for sleep.
Goals, both long term and short,
and promises that were sure to follow her to her grave
took her eyes away from the road for but a sec.
She tried to regain focus,
but she already knew it was too late.
She had already fallen from grace.
They hated the way she cooked,
and her complete disregard
for anyone else was sickening.
Why was she even there?
Her head hanged low in shame spewing out apologies,
and in the back of her mind her soul heard her promise
that it would never happen again.
A promise that it was no longer willing to keep.
Still she insisted there were problems, gliches in her stride,
but those she would fix. No time for sleep.
Now, with the flap of the mini blinds
or the eerie movement of the curtains.
In the shadows of the oddly shaped lamp
and in the headlights of cars passing by,
her heart flutters
because the betrayed soul it used to shrink into
during brief times of recess
has chosen to sleep, never to wake again.
In the darkness, a tear forms
but never gets a chance to fall.
because through her blurred vision
out the corner of her eye
she notices someone opening her door.
No, no time for sleep.
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Submission Name: Perfection
