I counted each little finger and toe
So I knew how many should be there
When I woke up
Before Darkness
I would hum a certain tune
Over and over, starting from the beginning
If i were interrupted by thought or sound
So I knew that I would wake up breathing
Before Darkness
I washed my hands, trying to achieve
Perfect thoughtlessness
So I knew that my family members would be safe
Before Darkness
I avoided staring at the thing in my room
That I couldn’t get rid of
That I couldn’t stop thinking of
The bad luck charm
So I would wake up the next day
Before Darkness
I gave into the darkness
Only sleep was a respite in the sun