Join the Neopoet online poetry workshop and community to improve as a writer, meet fellow poets, and showcase your work. Sign up, submit your poetry, and get started.

Somnolent

I turn to the couch
as the sun walks toward
the center of my living room
the windows, open
the silence, welcoming
it is 3:00 p.m.
I am sleepy
familiar shadows
comfort the walls
my eyes become heavy
and the last thing
I faintly regard is the dust 
dancing in the sunlight
before settling onto
the warm hardwood floor
 

— Lavender, Jul 30, 2026

About This Poem

Style/Type: Free verse

Review Request Intensity: I want the raw truth, feel free to knock me on my back

Editing Stage: Rough draft

About the Author

Country/Region: United States

Favorite Poets: I tend to read Ted Kooser, Jim Harrison, Billy Collins, Paul Simon, Robert Frost. I like minimalist poetry, and poems reflecting on nature and Mother Earth.

This user supports Neopoet so it can be free to all

More from this author

Critiques

RM

Ray Miller

2 weeks 3 days ago

Somnolent

Hello Lavender. Good poem. I like how the sun walks, the enjambment creating "open the silence" and the shadows comforting the walls. You might consider "settling" instead of "it settles", a little ambivalence.  

Lavender

Lavender

2 weeks 3 days ago

Hello, Ray,

Thank you for reading and commenting, and for your excellent suggestion which I will gratefully use.  It's consistent with the other actions, and gives the poem a slower, softer touch.

Thanks, again!

L

Michael Anthony

Michael Anthony

2 weeks 3 days ago

Love the imagery in this one…

Love the imagery in this one, L! 

 

and the last thing
I faintly regard is the dust 
dancing in the sunlight
before it settles onto
the warm hardwood floor

Beautiful!

Lavender

Lavender

2 weeks 3 days ago

Hello, Michael,

How are you?

I came across this word - a beautiful word describing such an intriguing sensation.

Thank you for reading and spending time here!

L

Geezer

Geezer

1 week 4 days ago

Sorry I missed...

this one. Love the scene from the perspective of all things; a cat! Yeah, I had an orange tabby named Wanda that had a habit of lying in the sun where I was writing or drawing and when I moved something that caused dust to fall, she would look as though she were considering if it was worth the effort to move. Anyway, nicely done. ~ Geez.

 

Lavender

Lavender

1 week 3 days ago

Hello, Geezer,

I always love your perspective.  You help me see things that I didn't even realize were there!

Thank you for reading and commenting!

L

Geezer

Geezer

1 week 3 days ago

It is...

always my pleasure to make comments and critique your work. ~ Geez.

.

Ray Bear

Ray Bear

6 days 3 hours ago

Nicely done

I really liked this one as it sets the scene for a sleepy afternoon.  Great imagery. Instantl  I could imagine this as a series of seasons, next with a winter one in front of the fireplace and so on,  Regards Ray 

Lavender

Lavender

5 days 22 hours ago

Hello, Ray,

I'll give your suggestions some consideration!

Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts!

L

Join Neopoet to leave a critique

Neopoet is a free community of poets who critique and support each other's writing.