The Art Of Sleeping

You say you can sleep for ever.
Sleeping sickness?
I think not. Headache, fever,
rash or chills? No. Drowsiness? Yes.

Therefore, I ease late and gently into day
but, after food and two mugs of tea, I'd say
I'm okay. Maybe I'm lazy?
So what! I've had my share of early starts

- hitting the motorway at 6 a.m. Waking
stressed at 4 a.m. You'll know the sort of thing
I speak of. Good riddance to all of that.
I've learned the art of sleeping from my cat.


Illustration by Satoshi Kitamura
From 'The Ring of Words' edited by Roger McGough
Published by Faber & Faber, 1998

Hurkle-Durkle