Sundowning
Since I got ahead of myself I decided to post the story version of this first, I thought it only made sense to also post my own take that is not in that format.
I swear I will attempt to be concise and not ramble, but no promises.
When I first saw the title of the album I thought it was a little odd but it stirred some memories of a deceased relative that struggled with this. For that reason I will TW sundowning as well as dementia and Alzheimer's, just in case. Also, the little personal experience backstory here will be between the asterisks if you wish to skip it.
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That being said, I recall how she was during the day. Of course, we are talking about a woman well into her nineties at the time so there was very little that she did besides watch television. Evangelical preachers and the news more often than not. She wasn't bed ridden or anything of that nature and other than typical ailments for her age, she was rather healthy. Days were slow and quiet.
But as late afternoon crept in, tension built in the house. As she was able to stay home until her passing, she was accompanied at all times by at least one other person, be it family or hired ladies that assisted in her care. She would become confused, agitated, and paranoid. I won't go any further into it, but what I experienced made me wonder about Vessel.
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Why the title of Sundowning when that is usually reserved for individuals suffering from dementia and Alzheimer's? Then I considered it as less of something he could not help, and more of a state he suffered as a result of knowing Sleep was coming. This plays up on my thought of Sleep being a separate entity that can (in some way) possess Vessel. Sleep isn't always there, but when he is, Vessel can feel him coming.
See, in lore context I wonder... when it's sundown you're growing closer to the time to sleep. Night is settling in and there is only so much time left before you must sleep. Fighting that sleep is always an option but rarely has positive consequences.
Vessel obviously doesn't have dementia so what if it's more in the sense that the night is coming and so is Sleep? I assume Sleep does not join Vessel every night, mostly because I believe that Sleep finds ways to manipulate Vessel and keep him in a state of longing or desire and what better way to do that than by living by the adage "absence makes the heart grow fonder". Let Vessel suffer through the night alone and when Sleep is present, it would bring so much relief, that Vessel would see the encounter as worth it no matter how unfulfilled he feels in the morning.
The prospect of the encounter could cause Vessel to pace and grow agitated or confused on how to feel about it. Seeking some kind of companionship to not be alone through the night, which is when most people struggle with loneliness, while also knowing that what's coming might not leave him feeling as fulfilled as he hopes.
This would tie in with my thoughts on Thread the Needle but that is for another post. However, I will say that it is the idea of giving his all to Sleep while accepting the bare minimum in return. I can relate to Vessel's side of that. I'm not proud to admit it, but when I was younger I obsessed with someone very similar. Only at night did they acknowledge my presence and they gave me just enough to keep me craving more. I was afraid of being alone, afraid of losing them, so I allowed a lot of things to happen just for the sake of the relationship. I'm still fighting the consequences of that.
A bit of a personal take I suppose, but aren't we all projecting just a little?
