It started with a crappy pillow.
And they pretend they’re orphans
Whatever lurked beneath the yellowing fabric would shift only a few minutes after his head settled upon it, necessitating it being constantly flipped so he could rest comfortably. Again and again, he was forced to make this adjustment.
And their memory’s like a train
Eventually, he trained himself to do this in his sleep.
You can see it getting smaller as it pulls away
Shortly after that, he learned to get up and pee without waking up. There were a few complications along the way, which resulted in piss on the sink and the occasional smell of urine wafting up from the shower, but after enough nights had passed, the nightly journey went without incident.
And the things you can’t remember
Of course, no amount of discipline would allow him to drive to work while asleep but he did learn to take the bus and wake up in his cubicle alert and refreshed.
Tell the things you can’t forget
Interacting with people was a bit trickier but ultimately, the conversations he had with his friends when he was awake and the conversations he had with them while asleep were indistinguishable. Nobody knew the difference or maybe they were asleep as well.
History puts a saint in every dream
He could always tell the difference between when he was awake and when he was asleep. He was happier sleeping. Lost in the kaleidoscope of joy and regret. Wonderfully blurry and none of which made much sense. What was he really losing anyway?
And it’s Time, Time, Time
This retreat… was it innocence or cowardice? He couldn’t bring himself to care why anyone would care.
That you love*
*Tom Waits, Time