POETRY PROMPT: Write about struggling to sleep.

She sighed and settled down on her bed.

Ahhh, just what she had been longing for.

The mattress was perfect … not too hard, not too soft.

And the pillow … fit her head and neck just right.

All she had to do was close her eyes.

Tune out all the things still racing through her mind.

Oh, come on! Shut down those thoughts.

Leave them for another time.

Maybe she’d try lying on her side.

But the images were still rumbling around in her mind.

Think about nothing!

And then all she could do was focus on that.

She flipped back over and reached for the TV remote.

Surely something on there would put her to sleep.

Whenever she wanted to watch a particular program, she dozed off.

It didn’t work this time.

Maybe she could listen to some soothing sounds on her Alexa.

“Play rain falling,” she instructed.

Too gentle.

“Play stormy night.”

Nothing was helping.

She turned off the TV, and Alexa

But her mind just wouldn’t shut down.

Fine, plan what I’ll do tomorrow.

Now her leg cramped.

She swung it over the side of the bed.

Rubbing helped.

She yawned, and her eyes felt heavy.

This was finally going to be it.

She lay back down and sighed happily.

Then her cell phone rang.

What the heck!