Thursday, September 25, 2008

Up All Night

Here's a piece I wrote last week in my Write Around Portland Writing Group. We've met twice now and it's held out at the Quest Center on Burnside/29th. It's an interesting blend of ladies who are battling cancer, HIV, mental illness and addiction. They all write so incredibly. This session is a ten week session again. I've missed writing like this so much. It's so nice to have time again, to make time. My writing is usually dark, but it's how I deal with things. Things I can't say to my family and friends. Things that might scare them if coming from my mouth out loud. It gives me a safe place to dump my worries and exorcise my demons.

Last week's writing prompt: "Up All Night" or as I titled it,

"An Univited Guest" or do you like "Sleeping with the Enemy" better?
by Shauna Berglund Immel

Night falls.
The house falls silent.
I am alone.
Quiet.
Still.
With no distractions.
Only my thoughts and the sound of my breath.

This is the point at which fear finds me.
An unwanted and unwelcome guest
Who slips into my bed uninvited and breaks the silence.
Filling my head with insecurities, sorrow and dread.
He haunts my thoughts like a ghost.
Terrorizing me and inflicting unimaginable emotional pain.

You know that pain.

The kind that you feel deep in your heart
Down to the very core.
The very essence and being of your soul.
The kind that makes your heart skip a beat.
The kind that takes your breath away.
The kind that scares you so badly,
you break down in heavy,
gut wrenching sobs
that leave your sides aching
and your pillow soaked.

You don't want night to come.
You are afraid of what it brings.
You want to stretch the day out
as long as you can.

To get as much living in as possible.
To get as much done as you possibly can.
To tie up loose ends.
To work on unfinished business.

In case tomorrow doesn't come
to rescue you from the darkness.

To avoid having to lay down next to fear,
Who often stays all night long.

6 comments:

JO said...

Glad you are taking the Write Around Portland class again. You are such an awesome writer.

We are headed to Olympia tomorrow so Denny can "test" his racing boat.

Sure miss seeing you at our meetings. I missed last week also but hope to be there next week. Maybe we can meet at Starbucks sometime if we don't see each other at our meetings.

Have a great weekend.

Love ya, JO

Paris said...

That is some powerful stuff, my dear. Wow. So happy that you can take the writing class again. So good for you.

Miss you TONS!!! How was Miss Ginger Bunny tonight? You are a doll to check on her :)

Love, p

Anonymous said...

Oh Shauna, thank you so much for sharing your writing with all of us. You are an amazing writer, you truly are! I just want to give you a giant hug and make the cancer disappear forever so that you don't have to deal with this carp any longer. UGHHHHHH.

Jaci

Jean said...

once again, your writing is amazing! I'm so glad you have this outlet!!
hugs to you!!!
Jean

Loni said...

Shauna, thanks for sharing your wonderful writing with us, and I'm so glad you have that outlet.

Looking back (with a smile) what did we write about in our 9th grade creative writing class where we met? You had fabulous whimsical poems and illustrations, I know, and I stuck to snarky.

Hugs, Loni

Angie said...

this class sounds so theraputic for you.
I like "An Uninvited Guest".

Miss you already!