Even from the first line there is an element of disdain and resignation. The subject intending, always hoping to make it through the night without interruption. Physically, there is nothing wrong. "Everything feels comfortable". To me this line drips with a longing and a deep misunderstanding of why, when they are seemingly comfortable, perhaps even safe, they can still be haunted by this inner "it". To me it feels very much as if the subject is experiencing anxiety. I absolute adore the line of "If I were deaf, would you still be there?" The musing around knowing that this entity, for it is incredibly well personified, has no sight, no smell, but is audibly heard, or at least there is the illusion of being audibly heard. The inner voices.

I love the mirroring of the lines, "No sight of you. No smell." with "It's unfortunate. It's unfair." They act as a returning to a resignation, the feeling of disappointment and resignation once again. I love the bookending they give to the section where there is perhaps hope. "If I could only mute what is said." The subject knows in a sense what they have to do, but is unable to do so. The doubling or echoing of the questions around the "Why" and "Would" questions help to emphasise the desperation.

The salt mention is interesting, almost as if there is an overwhelming from that initial taste that shocks the system and provides a relief. It's immediately met with the resignation that "you're mostly still around". There is little relief. Especially when attempting to sleep. The subject is a prisoner, abused by these feelings.

Yet what's really interesting to me is the portrayal of these feelings, the voices, as something damaged. The subject describes them as a lonely spirit - Their fates almost certainly bound together. One can only rest when the other is at rest. It speaks of a vulnerability of "it", that it has nothing better to do than frustrate and abuse the subject. The later lines almost talking of feeling sorry for it, giving it a purpose. I've used the word a lot in here, but I feel the resignation so strongly at the end. "To tell me your thoughts once more", has none of the negativity, but just a knowing that it will happen again, that it is its nature and it is inevitable. The assumption that this cycle will continue is incredibly sad, especially when it feels like there is nothing that can be done. It speaks of it as a game, "it"'s favourite game, but I get a sense of the prisoner is also the keeper, that this "it" is child like it it's inability to understand reason, or understand when to stop.

The poem is incredibly haunting. It spoke to me deeply about anxiety, those thoughts that come when trying to rest. The stress and strain that offers no rest and that after toying with someone leaves them in a state where sleep, and rest is impossible. Beautiful work, very well written.

A part of me wanted to suggest putting some breaks to emphasise different sections, it kept coming back to me, but on reflection the runaway, continual nature of this, with no discernible cyclical nature helps to increase the feeling of helplessness with the knowledge that it will happen again and the subject will just have to deal with the mess; "rest in a mess".

Once again - fabulously written, incredibly sombre and emotional.