1 min read

pillow sweat

pillow sweat
Photo by Chetan Hireholi / Unsplash

one of those nights where you wake up on the couch

using your sweatshirt hood as a pillow case against the rougher fabric

the oils on your face are slick

still a bit high

you get up and the automatic light goes on in the bathroom, beckoning to you to brush your teeth

but instead you turn off the light, stumble over to your bed, pull off your pants and sweatshirt, and tuck in

it's 5:30 am

in another half an hour you are awake and look for your phone

you find it on the floor next to a tv remote that's in pieces after falling off the couch the night before (thermodynamics)

you curl up and open your phone which shocks your eyes and mind

the world is beginning to awaken

you want to crawl away

somewhere

but there is nowhere

so you scroll for thirty minutes and then pull yourself up

and walk to the coffee shop down the street, the early morning light starting to awaken Los Angeles

the birds are at their most active, chirping

in the coffee shop, under the bright lights, you down two cups while you scroll

before your final sips, you open a book and try to calm down

this is your experience, 41 years after birth

welcome to the modern world of your choosing