TheBanyanTree: Sleeps

[Linda DeMerle]

I don't care what anyone says
Four o'clock in the morning
No matter how romantic it sounds
Is a brutal hour

It's too early to be cool
It's too late to have the wherewithal 
To complete anything well and 
Too late to stay up the whole day
Nausea takes you down around 10 and 
A general hatred of life sets in about 1
Followed by desperation at 2
An involuntary nap at 3, and then
A panicked wake-up at 6:30
When you know you’ve lost your chance
At a good night's sleep this damned night, too

So, you heat up some comfort corned beef hash
Chase it with watermelon and 
Set up your DVD marathon to run well into the night
When you can confidently fall into a sleep which will 
Let you slide into a respectable 8 o’clock am
Respectable for someone with no kids in school
Who doesn’t have to punch a clock, but
Can leisurely sip tea
Cup after cup after lemoned and honeyed
Cup
As the mid-morning sun
Crosses the cool, white floor and
Slides down my bare, white legs