I once slept with my parents
Wedged between them
Like a prisoner
Until I graduated to sleeping with a man
At first, this level of supervision was freeing
Eventually, I realized I was still a prisoner
Each movement I made elicited a response from my guard(ian)
The arm flung over me in response was more of a warning than a comfort
My anxiety briefly saved me from my nighttime prison
Unable to sleep, I counted the episodes of Golden Girls from a chair
Each one brings me closer to shift change
Night to day
A different kind of prison
I broke free once
Creeping out the door in the night
Reveling in how much sweeter the Florida air was after dark
Enjoying the heavy weight of the humidity all around me
Wrapping me in soft arms
The arms that found me weren’t as soft
They crushed me within them
Suffocating me
Dragging me back to my cell
A life sentence with no hope of parole
About the Creator
Juliana Dentata
cat lady, stay at home mom, solitary witch just trying to stay grounded in this crazy world we all live in
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