In the hour between
Ten and midnight,
I am most myself.
When no one is watching
me and my every move,
when no one tells me
who I should be
Or what I should do.

In that hour
between ten and midnight
I choose to be deep,
I choose to write,
I choose to stop doing
what is expected of me.
I listen to music
that will prevent me from sleeping
I betray my eyes by reading
Or watching moving pictures that make me happy
even for a moment.
In the hope
that I will find myself
dancing in the reels with them
when I finally drift and dream.

In the few hours before midnight,
When everyone is quiet
And no one screams,
I am at peace,
I am free.
That’s why I stay up,
Because in these moments
When the rest of the world
is fast asleep,
I can be
more me than I ever am
in the mornings.