Dear God What time is it? Late, or Early Depends on how you think Or how your circadian rhythm winks And then goes crazy I can’t even think (not even a new rhyme) Too tired Thinking this for hours Envying my family Wrapped warm in their own dreams While I’m wrapped in silence But for the rain drumming And the dog barking And the refrigerator humming In the other room… No point in lying about Don’t need no lights to see my way around This is a comfortable blind man at home Shuffling about, around, drunk on fatigue And not just tired, but tired of this As the kettle whistles, hush! And I pour black coffee By red and green appliance lights And smoke a secret cigarette Trying to count the stars As endless as sheep Mysterious as Turin’s Shroud Cover me Let me sleep I beg, I scream-though silently (‘cos I’d rather deal with well slept babies) And sigh As I watch the sun rise Dear God, No rest for the wicked, it seems Nor me.