The Day After

I was up for four hours
Then tiredness set in.
The familiar exhaustion.
The partial shutdown.

I was wise to allow for recovery.
Even pleasant times tire me.
A reminder not to book events
On consecutive days.

It sometimes feels unfair
That I have to plan and recover.
Restrain myself
From living a full life.

Because I am not one who prefers
To hide in the shadows.
But my neurology
Forces me to retreat.

At least I now know I can
Spend an evening with friends.
And survive, and enjoy,
Which is progress.

I just need to remember
That I need to take
More downtime
Than most people do.