Bed Writing

from Out With Lanterns, a daily poetry practice

The famous writer says that every day,
she showers, gets dressed properly, 
then walks through the living room
to her office and sets to work. 
Only on sick days does she stay 
in bed to write, a guilty pleasure. 
I don’t feel guilty, and I write nearly 
every poem in bed, well into darkness,
way past late when my dog and husband
are already sound asleep beside me.
There’s something sacred about this
time. The dark of night is a creative
opportunity few people claim. Only
in bed, at day's end, can I write words 
that I would censor when the sun returns. 
In the dark, fatigue and the promise of sleep
loosen my tongue–and words come.

Photo by the blowup on Unsplash