Sleep

(To be read like a poem)

Sleep, sly seducer of the Night, wandering from its natural realm of Moon and Star, sneaking, creeping, scheming in enemy territory. Not fearing his Shining Adversary, he tempts, he taunts, beckoning Day into the respite of Night. Flee, you treacherous Foe! I will not give into bribery. A nap is not sufficient to uproot my loyalties to the present tasks at hand. Spy, you must continue your disguises and your tricks, taunts, temptations somewhere else. Ignoring the irritating thug, I continue my work. Alert, perceptive, and in deep concentration, scarcely am I mindful of the espionage at hand. Eyelids, why are you drooping? Slowly they sag under the weight of my diligence. Helplessly, I allow them to slip shut—another victory for the Night. It wasn’t my fault, I couldn’t resist. But still Guilt persists with tormenting chants: “Traitor, traitor, traitor!” So I am a traitor. Against the cunning deceit of Sleep I am seemingly powerless. I betrayed the Day, the Sun, where my true allegiance was. Now I am a citizen of the Night—dark, dusky, comfortably dull—drowsing deep into the refuges of my conniving victor, Sleep.