Over-doze

Mere pas aao mere doston ek kissa suno

Thus sings my father aglow

With a new story to follow

But I simply don’t know

Though I am twelve

How could I delve

In….to

However true

Those daily narrations of his childhood

Which always ended with “you should…

Fall asleep”

Now that you’ve been shown

That you aren’t grown…

Up yet

Yet you are a little tinker

And tinkers aren’t thinkers

Tinkers are sheer bells

Little dainty tinker bells

Chiming tink, tink, tink

And off to sleep without a wink…

No, tinks don’t think!

Night’s for sleeping

For dreaming

For closing

For losing

The world in oblivion…

So a little sleeping me 

And a little sleeping you 

Would take us all through

The fearful night…

But I a pewter knight!

A steely

But really

Un-sleepy

Silver knight.

Hence I fight…

Sleep.

It’s guilt.

A guilt

Since it’s built

On the one wobbly stilt

Of blissful ignorance.

Since a little sleeping me 

And a little sleeping you

And the world sleeps with you

Is true…

But also untrue.

Since while you and I sleep,

Propped on a pillow, 

And happily wallow

In the warm ditch of blankets…

Someone

Somewhere

No!

Many-a-one

Many-a-where

Lie in actual ditches 

Of poverty

Unsure

No property

Or warmth

Or a cold shower bath…

Their night’s 

For hunger

For thunder

No slumber 

Just anger

At the little sleeping me 

And the little sleeping you

Who happily construe 

A world without them.

Them, they, the other

Don’t bother!

But they do smother

My sleep.

I don’t sleep

No, I can’t keep

Still

Silenced

Muffled

Yes, I am troubled!

By indifference.

Somnolence dies

Condolence tries

To stop their cries

Their painful sighs

The haunting still pries

My eyes

Open.

I count sheep

One, two, three, four…

But ten’s my highest score

The eleventh sheep always leaves the shore 

Of the barbed wired rally

Wolves chase her to a valley

And behold

What a hold

The beautiful valley has on her

Stares dreamy-eyed

Wide-eyed

Tongue-tied

With native pride

At the place, she belongs to.

But hark!

A meek cower

A menacing glower

Over is her hour

The wolves devour

In this valley, only shrieks flower.

Every night I lose my sheep

Every night I lose my sleep

Crying over the blood spilled

Over innocence killed

My spine too chilled!

A little sleeping me 

And a little sleeping you

And the murders ensue…

I teach my sheep to run

Run, little one!

No one’s gonna turn

Up to help, your plight they shun

Since they don’t wake till they see the sun

And your world’s not as fun…

As mine,

As ours

Who sleeps unaware

But beware!

Every sheep gone

Every victim forlorn

Every flower shorn

Everybody torn

Every gory thorn

With which our paths you adorn

Are surely gonna scorn

Your morn-

ings.

So I ask my sheep to halt

Don’t fear anymore the assault

Of the dark, lonely vault

Your fear’s your only fault

It does their crimes exalt

Yes, shout like a thunderbolt

And give a jolt

To the little sleeping me 

And the little sleeping you

Maybe then we’ll all awake

And stand without a shake

And together we will break-

Out of these wolf-haunted caverns.

When a silly sleepless me 

And a silly sleepless you

Awake,

We can build our dreams anew!