Night After Night

As I’ve gotten older, 

Something I have found,

One of life’s greatest mysteries,

Occurs just as I sit down.

When the tv is the loudest,

When I tip the recliner back,

My eyelids grow heavy,

And my lower jaw goes slack.

Before I’m aware of it,

I’m drifting off to sleep,

Very soon I’m snoring,

So peaceful and so deep.

It’s then I hear those words,

“Why don’t we go to bed?”

I awake from my drowsiness,

And shake my weary head.

After all my nightly rituals,

I slip between the sheets,

As the darkness settles ‘round,

I think thoughts so sweet.

But soon I start to realize,

That sleep just won’t come.

I toss and I turn,

While counting sheep until I’m numb.

I think of all the things,

That I have done today,

And all I’ll do tomorrow,

If nothing stands in my way.

Perhaps I drift off,

And snooze for a while,

But I wake up several times,

It’s become my nightly trial.

Just when I’m resting peaceful like,

The alarm begins to scream,

I’m quickly jarred wide awake,

From a lovely pleasant dream.

So, feeling less than rested,

I smack that button on the clock,

The one that allows for a snooze,

Again I find myself sleeping like a rock.

But apparently a “snooze”,

Is only five minutes long,

And in no time at all,

The clock again sings its song.

I know I have no choice,

But to rise and face my day,

To down a cup of java,

Before I go out on my way.

I race off out the door,

Turning my back then to my bed,

There’s time a plenty, the wise men say,

To sleep when one is dead.