The quiet of night settles over her bedroom
as the cricket choir chirps.
The warm comforter tangles
around her feet.
As her eyes close,
green and blue lights dance in the corner of her room.
Could it be the glow from her TV
as the credits role?
No, it’s something more
reflected in her mirror.
In the reflection, her tall wooden desk has transformed
into a log cabin
with soft, inviting light shining through the windows.
Her white iron bed frame
is now a sled.
And her tan carpet has turned into snow.
She kicks off the covers
and now she’s skating
across a frozen lake
beneath a sky of stars and the Aurora.
The air is cool, but not too cold.
Light from the sky fends off the dark.
Being alone does not scare her.
And when she returns to her bed and her room and her life,
she feels safe.
Pretending was easy then.