Fighting Sleep
I fight hard
To defy slumber’s grasp,
Head tilting, nodding
Between wakefulness and sleep.
My focus hangs in the balance,
For it is the hour of devotion.
Tonight,
I dare not yield to the body's whim;
Kneeling, I begin the Lord’s prayer,
But the words stumble.
Yet I regain my track—
Resolute, I must persevere.
Swiftly, I reach for my Bible,
Turning to the Psalms:
"He who keeps Israel
Shall neither slumber nor sleep."
The verse echoes in my mind;
I cannot surrender now.
But this gentle breeze, soft and cool,
Fans the embers of my fatigue.
My eyelids grow heavy,
My knees begin to buckle;
Slowly, my head lowers,
Resting upon the Holy Book.
Angels ascend and descend
Upon Jacob’s ladder,
Cherubim and Seraphim
In celestial minstrelsy.
Heaven’s peace envelops me,
And I begin to snore heavily.
Till dawn filters through the blinds,
Sun rays pierce into my eyes
I awaken, still kneeling by the bed—
Still praying to the Lord
Copyright © Benson Chukwueke | Year Posted 2026
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