The Sleepwalker

after artist Lilli Carre

She always moved while sleeping:
along sidewalks, through the woods.

Leapt from rock to rock
bruised and cut up.

She always
ended up in the water.

It was the seaweed hanging from
her chin that woke her.

Herbal tea
daytime exercise
Russian novels at bedtime:

it was all an attempt to get a
good night’s sleep.

What are you looking for? People would ask her
during the day

Where do you go?

 

In search of something to hold me down

back to issue

Jennifer MacBain-Stephens went to NYU's Tisch School of the Arts and now lives in Iowa where she likes to rock climb. She is the author of four full length poetry collections and twelve chapbooks. Recent work can be seen at or is forthcoming from The Pinch, Cleaver, Yalobusha Review, Zone 3, and Grist. She also hosts an indie reading series sponsored by the non-profit organization Iowa City Poetry called Today You Are Perfect. Find her online at http://jennifermacbainstephens.com.