Let Me Sleep, Not to Dream....

    Some nights, I don’t want answers I just want silence. Not the kind filled with buzzing thoughts, but the deep, weightless stillness that John Keats writes about in “To Sleep.” His lines feel less like poetry and more like a whisper to the weary.

    Keats doesn’t glorify sleep as a dreamy escape filled with fantasies. Instead, he sees it as a quiet refuge from the noise of life. I remember one night, after back-to-back classes and an unexpected family argument, I sat by my window, emotionally exhausted. No words, no energy just the weight of being awake. That night, I opened Keats. His line, “Seal the hushed casket of my soul,” made me close my eyes. For once, I wasn’t trying to sleep. I was inviting it in like an old friend.

    I’ve often found that poetry meets us where no one else can. Keats understood that some days feel too loud, too real. And what we need isn’t escape, but a pause a gentle covering of all that aches. His sleep is sacred, not just for the body but for the heart.

    A few weeks ago, I shared this poem with a student who was going through anxiety. He messaged me later saying it felt like someone finally understood his tiredness. That’s the power of Keats. He doesn’t advise. He simply sits beside your sorrow and says, “Rest now.”

    We live in a world obsessed with waking up, showing up, being strong. But sometimes, the bravest thing is to let go and just sleep.