Lucky are those who have this luxury
including me
a Rip Van Winkle of sorts
since the virus arrived
sleeping more than I ever have

More so than when I first retired
almost seven years ago
when epidemics were something that
happened in other countries
pandemics the stuff of history
and science fiction movies
though not naïve enough
to think it couldn’t happen here
yet still a shock when it did
no amount of imagination and
preparation could compare for

And now I sleep
sometimes all morning
mid-afternoons till suppertime
I doze off watching the news
Netflix
late night talk shows
a poor imitation
without studio audiences

Till I can sleep no more
my best work occurring
in the wee hours it seems
unless a man on a mission
when duty calls
any hour of the day
only words and photographs
a life-long muse
to keep me company

Is it just old age creeping in?
I think not
self-preservation a better call
hoping the next time I wake up
it will all be over
or more so just a bad dream
that never really happened at all

Or like Rip Van Winkle
maybe better to sleep another 20 years

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05/13/2020

Posted on 05/13/2020
Copyright © 2025 Chris Sorrenti