Shoes That Don't Fit and Other Musings of Sleep Paralysis by Priya Sridhar

Trapped in sleep

Unable to move

Eyes refusing to close...

Some nights I lie awake and see shadows
Poring over my work
Threading deep bone needles
You ask why I do not move
Fear holds me still

I am often tucked in, mouth open
But I sometimes can hear you
Trapped in sleep
Unable to move
Eyes refusing to close
Seeing your shadows dance
And writhe among the sewing implements

In the morning I see patterns cut
From deep leather
Shoes assembled and sold to the waiting customers
Who slip their toes into tanned soles
And step out into a harsh world
That believes in heavy footsteps

I thank you for your help
And yet I quiver, not knowing
What you intend with your work
And what purpose my materials serve

I lay a fabric of fine satin
Fashioned into a slippery shirt
Hoping it conveys my thanks
And hides my shaking hands
Under the shimmering white

Perhaps tonight I will move
To hand you gleaming fabric
And bid that you leave
So I can cobble leather
With my flaws, and my fears
But more likely I will stay still
Head turned towards your form
Watching, and quivering.

A 2016 MBA graduate and published author, Priya Sridhar has been writing fantasy and science fiction for fifteen years, and counting. She believes that every story is a journey, and that a good tale allows the reader to escape to a new world. One of Priya’s stories made the Top Ten Amazon Kindle Download list, and Alban Lake published her novella Carousel.  Priya lives in Miami, Florida with her family and posts monthly at her blog.

Follow her on Twitter: @PriyaJSridhar 

POEM Art by Amanda Bergloff