My mother has been in a manic hallucinatory state all day,

since at least 4 a.m.

I have been up with her the whole time, pretty much,

eventually giving up on the idea of sleep

and just sitting in a chair in her room 

when I'm not shadowing her around the house.

The one phone call I got this morning was cut short when I checked on her

and found her lying on the floor of her room.

She can't sleep, can't wake, can't be still, 

lying in her bed talking and talking,

walking around aimlessly, not knowing 

what she's looking for or where she's going

her knees buckling sometimes every few steps.

I catch her, guide her to her bed -

"Keep walking, Mom, you're not there yet-

Walk, walk, walk -"

I lift her into her bed, her hands clutching my clothes,

pulling my shirt down over my breasts,

eyes already closed.

I can hear her still talk, ceaselessly, in her bed.

I'm getting tired.