too far out of it to go to work

he woke up
early
didn’t feel well

he called his workplace
to say

I feel strange

really strange
I feel
out of it
somehow

I don’t think that I
can focus
so I won’t be coming in
to work
today

from work
they told him

okay

gee

you sound
a long long way
away

get better soon buddy
because
we need you

he wandered
scratching
still more than
half asleep

stumbled his way
into the kitchen

turned the kettle on
at the power-point
pulled the ring
on the roll-up blind
released
and raised it

it was night
outside
but
it ought to be day

there were stars
embedded
into the black

no twinkling

he shook his head
slowly
turned back
to pour his coffee

stepped across the kitchen
to the back door

first thing he noticed
no verandah

but a hundred million
miles of nothing
heading down
heading up
heading
all around

made him feel like he was
up
side down
and falling

maybe
upward
maybe out

the weatherboard cladding
beside his ear
creaked aloud

made him jump

alarmed

he looked at his hand
trembling
spilling hot drink
onto the floor

but the house
felt fine
old California Bungalows
you can take them anywhere
they seem to last
forever

he wondered
what he should do
then stepped
quiet
across the bedroom

pulled the curtain
to one side
just to make
quite sure

said
almost in a whisper
he said

honey

spoke a little louder
said

honey
can you wake up

I didn’t go
to work today

and honey
I’ve got something
to show you

something
that you
really
ought to see

~

Poem #469 from a series of poems drawn from the imagination and collected as: a Bachelard reverie.