2 A.M.

It’s 2 A.M. and I’m strung out and I can’t sleep. A woman slumbers in my narrow bed high above the floor like a church balcony. She clutches a lumpy blue pillow to her chest like a life preserver and murmurs words in her sleep. I know she waits for me to come in, slide in next to her, and share her warmth. But it is 2 A.M. and I can’t sleep. Tonight I promised her every thing in the world. She went to bed happy. But it’s still 2 A.M. and I can’t sleep because of what I vowed.

 

 

 

Ron Burch‘s short stories have been published in Mississippi Review, Cheap Pop, Pank and others. He’s been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, and his first novel, Bliss Inc., was published by BlazeVOX Books. Please visit www.ronburch.com.