Umsindo ohlukanisiwe

hi. it’s me. peanut.i was asleep.
deeply. spiritually. irresponsibly asleep.and then—
the world decided i’d rested enough.one noise.
one floorboard creak.
one thought of food that may or may not exist.and suddenly i’m awake. again.do you know how exhausting it is
to be this small
and feel this much?my legs are short.
my dreams are long.every nap ends
like a breakup
i didn’t consent to.i had a whole life in that sleep.
i was running.
i was free.
i had ears that didn’t flap in the wind.and now?now