The Performance of Rest Is Over

The house is quiet now, but your mind is loud with the replay of every moment you pretended to be asleep. You held your breath when the floor creaked.

You kept your eyes closed when the light slipped under the door. And now the sun is coming, and you are exhausted from the performance of resting.

You feel like a fraud in your own bed. But listen — the light does not need you to pretend.

It saw you awake. It saw you tired.

It saw the effort it took to just lie there. And it did not turn away.

There is a rest that has nothing to do with closing your eyes. It is the knowing that you are held even when you are staring at the ceiling.

You do not have to act peaceful to be peaceful. The performance is over.

You can stop now.