by Christopher Petterson

Created on: February 13, 2010

The Mosaic Inn

I

He couldn't sleep that night.
He kept wondering
if during a job interview
when they ask what he thinks
his biggest flaw is, whether he
would make up something like, I
sometimes push myself too hard,
or, I'm not a gracious loser.

He couldn't sleep that night.
He kept wondering
if during a job interview
when they ask what he thinks
his biggest flaw is, whether
they're expecting an answer
like, I'm scared that I'm incapable of love.

II

He couldn't sleep that night.
It's too hot for February.
The cool spots in the bed
were getting sparse,
not to mention getting warm.

He kept wondering
if there was some clever zen phrase
about the cool side of the pillow,
and how it's always on the other side.
And whether a zen phrase
is still zen if you admit it's zen.

III

He couldn't sleep that night.
He kept noticing the tiny red light
on the carbon monoxide detector
blinking every four point two seconds.
He wondered if he would notice
if it ever stopped blinking, and
whether it would matter.

He kept wondering if he
were to die in his sleep
what he would dream about.
He couldn't sleep that night.

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