Something other than sleep
more like jumping into water of coolness.
Not dreamland, but renewal of returning,
more like the thrill of meeting someone new,
in the skin of an old friend.
Diversion from daily tunnels of thought.
When was the last time your bare feet felt
the smooth tile of the lobby?
The feel of breath leaving your body
an elevator going down
a return to the ground floor.
An entrance to rest.
© Alicia Grimshaw 2017
Photo from Pixabay
flashlight batteries - Ali Grimshaw 
I agree with you. Rest is different from sleep. I think we can only truly rest if we are emotionally non-stressed and our mind isn’t racing a million miles per hour. “more like the thrill of meeting someone new,” I like this line a lot. Sometimes, rest can be elusive if we have to juggle many things at once and keep on top of it all. For me, I feel rested when I get to lie in bed, lounging around and having no commitments, like a weekend morning when I don’t have to go out 😀
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Great to hear from you Mabel. Thanks for your reflection. I am wondering how many people in the culture around me even remember what it is like to be rested. I believe it is an essential consideration.
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To be honest, I think I need to remind myself to rest. It is not something I am good at since I am the kind who likes to go, go, go and be productive. Sometimes we think best when we are rested.
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This is absolutely perfect and something we all need. Beautifully done.
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I read a lot about getting enough sleep but in my experience it is not the same as resting. Resting is different.
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You’re so right. Resting is very different and equally as important I think.
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…like the thrill of meeting someone new,
in the skin of an old friend.
—-
An entrance to rest.
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Kirsten, thank you for your reflection. I love hearing what resonates for you.
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The tags helped me work it out. Then it all made perfect sense on the second read. Lovely
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Thank you for your reflection. I always appreciate hearing your experience of the poem.
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Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness. I rarely see the word ‘rest’ used. But today, I’m reading what you wrote about it, and I’m chuffed. We need it more than we know. Change our words, change [rest] our minds!!!
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Thank you for sharing your reflection. I have been exploring the concept of rest as renewal. It is an important concept. Glad to hear it resonated with you.
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Big time! I hear many people complaining about not getting enough sleep. I kindly suggest they go to bed to rest, and like your exploring… renew. I believe as they rest into their sheets, they will naturally fall asleep.
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