Sleep on

Sleep
         a respite
within time’s gift
         a permission
to absent oneself
         to rest and to repair
to dream
         wound loosely
within a cocoon
         of silent intelligence
that is of a different order
         in which fragments
of consciousness
         appear to make sense
and sense appears
         to fragment
a realignment
         of the soul perhaps
of our desires and
         of our affections
that which we live
         without understanding
the understanding we have
          Sleep is the ultimate
self-care when we are
         truly alone with ourselves
and yet feel in touch with
         and buoyed up by
the entire universe
         or do I exaggerate?

John Lyons