By Emily Brandt

I haven’t been sleeping well.
No matter how much I wish to escape into the deep world of the night sky behind my closed
eyelids
I wish to sit upon the moon and look down below at the Earth
Observe from above, and see the world for what it truly is
The people
The laughter
The hatred
The love
I wish to touch the waves of the sea without fear of being dragged below
To caress the sand and tell each creature that they are important and loved
Even if humans have a funny way of showing it
I long to mix my DNA with the stars
We were formed from the same atoms, it seems only right
My head is filled with daydreams of tomorrows and yesterdays
Words not spoken that lay the foundation of my personal reality
I think about all the places I’ve been, and the places I want to go
The people I’ll never get to meet
The food I’ll never taste
Will my existence be noticed before I’m gone for good?
I remember what I told myself I’d eat for breakfast the day before
And then remember it’s still sitting right where I left it
Next to my unfinished coffee and my empty day planner
All of this
These thoughts and images swirl in my mind until I cannot separate myself from them
Laying in the darkness, as the evening shadows grow tall, I find my body exhausted and restless
Instead of explaining though, when you ask me
Why my eyes seem gray
And I can’t focus my thoughts
And my jaw aches
And my hands burn
I just say:
I haven’t been sleeping well.

Emily has been a storyteller her entire life. From the stage to the page, sharing dreams and telling tales of adventure and love are her biggest passions.

You can normally find her sipping coffee and crocheting on her couch when she isn’t reading or writing her next project.

She graduated with a BFA in Musical Theatre from Millikin University and currently resides in Belgium with her husband and their dog, Suki.