Hailing Sleep

By Ken Delpit

Something I don’t do,
But I used to, readily,
Is sleep through the night.

These days, not the case.  
Now, it’s hour by hour,
Two, if I’m lucky.

Lying anxiously,
Awake, but testy for sleep,
Like hailing a cab.

Up on a wet curb,
Leaning out, striking a pose,
Hey! I need a ride!

If only you knew,
Your sleep is hunting for you,
As if you’re its cab.

Will you find your ride?
You crane your neck, raise your hand.
Or, will it find you?

In addition to pausing statue-still upon entering a room, and trying, often in vain, to remember why he just went in there, Ken Delpit undergoes daily reminders of aging. In this piece, Ken, ahem, “celebrates” yet another byproduct of geezerhood.