Have you ever baked a biscuit?
by cricketjeff on December 5, 2010. © Jeff Green, All rights reserved
Have you ever baked a biscuit while the sun is still in bed,
To chase away the demons that are running through your head?
It is late at night, the worlds asleep, but that can’t come to you;
When everyone is silent all the worst of life seems true.
Have you counted all the titles on your bookshelves in your mind?
Don’t forget that book of poems that it took four years to find,
And you know you dreamt a story that was waiting for your pen?
At four am tomorrow you could change the end again.
Have you called a friend in China, since its nearly tea-time there,
Seen if ping-pong games from Hong-Kong are still played on “free-to-air”?
Or there’s knives in need of whetting, it’s the perfect time for that,
When you finish making goldfish you can use to tease the cat.
Have you tidied out the sock drawer, put your DVDs in line,
Given unworn shoes to Oxfam, maybe thought of making wine?
It is six am and counting, soon the Sun will start to rise,
And you’ll find a final silence that will let you close your eyes.
Have you slept for twenty minutes? That’s enough you sleepy head
Now the day is full of bustle and you’re lying in your bed
When late at night the World’s asleep no peace can come to you
When everyone is silent all that’s worst in life comes true.
Author notes
I virtually gave up sleeping when one of my children was very ill. It took
nearly twenty years but now attacks of insomnia are rare, but sometimes I miss
the time to do all those weird things that seemed so important in the small
hours.
English