Blurry-Eyed and Bushed

You’re not tired yet? Unbelievable. Eye can feel my lids becoming heavy and beginning to close.
Can’t…stay…open. Must…stay…open.
Just before Eye fade to black, you force me back open to stare blankly at a little blinking black line on a white, almost blank computer screen. I think you called it a “canvas” once.

Can’t you see that Eye’m getting blurry? The stinging and burning sensation you feel in my sockets should tip you off. Yeah, yeah, Eye know that you got a late start. Shouldn’t have been abusing me and wasting me by flipping through the television channels trying to find that Reality TV marathon. Like “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” is worth blowing the opportunity to become a bestselling author. You’re pushing me too hard, and Eye don’t like it one bit. Eye don’t want to be blamed if you miss your deadline. Eye won’t be responsible for your procrastination.

Why don’t you give us a break? Eye’m just two pale-green irises with overworked pupils that cannot help you anymore. You’re getting too pushy. Eye can get really irritated if you strain me. Look in the mirror at me and you will see those little red squiggly lines forcing their way in. Eye’m so ugly. Not very becoming on a promising, new writer. Eye even think I see some dark, puffy circles under me. Tsk tsk. Why do you treat me so badly? Without me, you’re nothing. Sure you’ll still have your imagination—but you can’t create without vision. Face it. You need me.

Can you stop yawning and rubbing at me? It won’t make things better. Eye thought we were a team—you and Eye. The only thing that will help us now is a good night’s sleep. All Eye can see are hazy images of letters mixing into words and blurring into sentences. Members of the alphabet lost and angry-- jumping out at me from the screen. Oops! Just spotted some spelling errors and a few typos. There’s really no rush, you know. Better for you to perfect your work than to get any more of those nasty rejection letters. You know Eye hate reading those. They’re brutal on our motivation.

Get some rest, girl. Shut me…close me…it’s okay. Relax. You know Eye will be here for you tomorrow. Well-rested and ready to go. Me…you…the canvas. Sound like a plan?

Darkness.
Lights out.
Goodnight.

Finally some shut eye.

Michelle Kane hopes you GET LIT with her new novel, CONFESSIONS OF A CATHOLIC SCHOOLGIRL. A portion of profits from book sales to be donated to domestic violence shelters.