I drifted off to sleep
After years of standing still
The sun arched over me
Like a soldier marching
Head slouched forward,
The arms gave way
Chin kissed the counter,
The music gently played
A spell, a trance
Fell over me
Spiriting me away
To a land of no worry
I feel out of bounds
Dancing in the night
Floating and swimming
In comforting darkness
Eyelids lift slowly and blink
Unable to focus on
The world around me.
To which world did I return?
No fear, a string around
The ankle keeps me
In the right space,
like balloons in a child’s hand
Fluid dreams, fainting spells
I’m paddling through reality
and a wonderland
Of forgiveness…
***
Published by Shannon Laws
Shannon Laws is an award-winning poet, performer, and advocate for the arts. She has been recognized with two Mayor’s Arts Awards and the Dr. Asha Bhargava Memorial Award — Community Champion. Her work has been featured in numerous journals and anthologies, and she has captivated audiences at esteemed literary events, including the Jack McCarthy Evergreen Invitational Slam, SpeakEasy, Poetry Night, Kitchen Sessions, and the West Coast Tagore Festival.
Beyond her writing and performances, Shannon actively fosters literary
and artistic communities. Since 2022, she has curated Corridor, a monthly
“found-art” zine project that showcases the work of more than 50 contributing
poets and artists. She is also the founder and host of Poetry Club, an engaging
discussion group established in 2015.
View more posts
shannon p. laws 