Sleepy

A phone call done
and I’m sleepy in the remainder
of the morning. My nose
is running, my skin’s
an itchy mess and
I’m sleepy for the remainder
of the morning. Outside
a dog is barking stereotypically:
“woof, woof;” in particular
this dog does this all the time
throughout the time when
I’m sleepy in the remainder
of the morning, makes it hard
to sleep, though not to weep.
I do that anyway, no matter how long
the barking goes on or if
it stops and I stop weeping
for the remainder of the morning.
Lie there like a lump of clay
awaiting reshaping into a vessel
to hold my own tears. The dog
shuts up. The phone call
took so little time it didn’t seem
to matter. My nose dried up.
My skin dried up. I have tears
that won’t pour out.
I don’t know what I’m expected
to do now except sleep,
and I’m not sleepy any more.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
onward,
T