The Discovery of Insomnia

Form a soft buffer zone of air
between you and the world because
there is always the possibility
that every success can also be framed
in delusion. When I look at my life
I wonder how it happened, sometimes.
Full-blooded summer from the vantage point
of deep failure; everything is humming
delightfully off key. Amid the chaos of the city,
I am tipping my imaginary hat to strangers
as I stroll down Smith Street like an ass on coffee.
The sweltering city scene is edging ever closer
to a total bummer but I know a place
out there beyond words; water lapping gently at the edge
of a serene shore with my toes dipped in, lightly,
before it all goes up in flames.