Grinding my Teeth

“You’re grinding your teeth, again,” he said.
Grinding my teeth.

 Grinding my teeth?

I didn’t understand what that was.
It sounded like it hurt.
If I was doing it,
wouldn’t I know?
How do people not wake up?
Didn’t it hurt?

 I know, now.

Yeah, it does hurt.
It hurts like
when you’re fleeing him so fast
your chest is burning
and you wake up unable to breathe.

And it lingers with you for hours
as you eat your lunch and wonder
Why does this ache?

Sometimes you do wake up
But not always
like when you choose not to rouse yourself
during a dream where you’re being molested
and remember in the morning
that this could have been prevented.

And wouldn’t you know?
Shouldn’t you know
what your body is doing
without your permission
when you are trying to rest?

No.
Not always.
Because sometimes things happen
that are
out
of your
control.