My eyes slide open
   and I pause,
      patiently listening
to the dark,
   waiting to learn
      what pulled me
out of sleep
   and into this hushed bedroom
      at midnight.

These used to be my moments
   of fight or flight,
      adrenaline kick starting
as I strained to catch
   a sound invading
      our home,
trampling 
   the peace of mind
      in my blanket cocoon.

Even the buzz of
   a streetlight
      could stop my heart.

All these years later
   it is simply an
      inconvenience,
an hour better left to
   kids out clubbing
      or New Year's Eve.
I quietly breathe
   and focus on the world
      around me.

              - ljh 2/8/17