chain, justify, sloshing, works, clatters, choice, sirens, distant, crows, raw, puzzle, short
Idle Thoughts
It’s 1am. Wide awake.
Counting a chain of sheep.
Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.
Warm milk. Walnuts. Chamomile.
Gentle music. No Wagner.
Wide awake. Nothing works.
It’s 2am. Wide awake.
Time, they say, flies
When you are having fun.
I’m not enjoying this.
Idle thoughts are sloshing,
Tumbling, churning.
It’s 3am. Wide awake.
Distant chimes of the clock.
Sirens in the distance—
Bad morning for someone?
Maybe it’s a birth. Hope so.
A puzzle to add to the mix.
It’s 4am. Wide awake.
A magpie practices its chords.
Shouldn’t it be asleep?
Wonder if crows practice?
Probably there is no need to,
Not all that melodic really.
It’s 5am. Wide awake.
Clatters from the street.
The rubbish trucks passing
Funny choice of a job.
Maybe not a choice.
Short end of life’s stick.
It’s 6am. Wide awake.
Pondering the universe.
The universe ignores me.
The brain does too. Traitor.
The sun is getting up.
Reluctantly, I do too.
◊
This piece absolutely captures the surreal, slow-burn madness of insomnia. Each hour is its own microcosm—funny, bleak, curious—and the subtle shift from sheep to sirens to cosmic betrayal is masterfully done. The repetition of “Wide awake” acts like a tolling bell, anchoring the drifting mind. And that magpie stanza? Brilliant. It’s humorous but also painfully accurate—the way small, strange thoughts occupy space at night. This poem doesn’t just describe sleeplessness, it invites the reader into it, one hour at a time. The final line lands perfectly. Resigned. Human. Beautiful. One of your strongest pieces to date.
ReplyDeleteThat's what you get for sleeping on the couch.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, a powerful metaphor for the painstaking process of interior house painting. The clock progression cleverly symbolizes how slowly paint dries—especially that dreadful second coat. The magpie represents the internal debate over colour selection (magpies, of course, being notoriously indecisive birds), and the “rubbish trucks” clearly refer to the disposal of old drop sheets and empty tins. I especially loved the line “The universe ignores me”—a poignant nod to trying to get paint samples matched at Bunnings. A richly layered work on the agony of DIY. Really made me reconsider my stance on semi-gloss.
ReplyDeleteYou should have called, we could have had a game of canasta.
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The magpie practicing its chords made me smile. It’s amazing how the mind finds these curious detours when sleep refuses to arrive. I wonder if the magpie was composing a hit or, just like the rest of us at 4am, overthinking yesterday’s conversations.
ReplyDeleteOh yes. Been there. Done that - though I usually give up and get up.
ReplyDeletePerfect description of insomnia. I was moving around as I read it.
ReplyDelete