54

If I should die,
And you should live—
And time should gurgle on—
And morn should beam—
And noon should burn—
As it has usual done—
If Birds should build as early
And Bees as bustling go—
One might depart at option
From enterprise below!
’Tis sweet to know that stocks will stand
When we with Daisies lie—
That Commerce will continue—
And Trades as briskly fly—
It makes the parting tranquil
And keeps the soul serene—
That gentlemen so sprightly
Conduct the pleasing scene!

You know the feeling
when you toss someone a key,
a coin
or a compliment
and someone else leaps in the way
and snatches it from the air?

The unintended catcher,
however swift of reflex
and waggish of humour
has broken the spell,
interrupted the communication

This came to mind
when I heard
that my album was playing in the sandwich shop
to a cluster of hungry strangers.
And songs
which I had crafted
for a certain small collective

now hung heavy
with the smell of frying bacon
and the unasked impressions
of the wrong crowd.

Isn’t it funny how as we age, we need less sleep?

Babies’ lives consist of it. Their time is infinite.

Children need many hours to rest growing bodies and minds. They have a different and separate life to live.

Maybe adolescents and adults do it to escape the hassles of daily life. They have lived long enough to expect struggle and uncertainty.

The elderly sleep less than everyone else. The clock ticks away what remains of their lives.

Dreamland dwindles as their time on earth fades. Tired eyes and tired hearts are what are left.

We love sleep, we dream in sleep.

Have their dreams been found and achieved, or do they float away with lost souls?

We love sleep, we hope in sleep.

Do their lives end when bodies fail, or are they just beginning?

We love sleep, we search in sleep.

Can they reconnect with loved ones, like in a fairy tale, or never see their faces again, as if in a nightmare?

We love sleep, we rest in sleep.

Do their cares melt away, or do their minds become crazed, like restless legs in the night?

We love sleep, we pray in sleep.

Is there a God they meet in Heaven, or an evil Devil in Hell?

We love sleep, we work in sleep.

Do they have room for regrets, or has all their energy been expended?

We love sleep, we die in sleep.

Is there a point at which they know, and go peacefully with no resistance, or do they refuse to acknowledge, fighting bitterly?

We love sleep, we live asleep.

Did they realize in life that they were asleep the whole time, passive pawns in a big world, or did they know enough to be awake, because a far longer, unknown sleep would follow?