“Shut up, I’m trying to sleep!” I plea,
But hospital visitors disagree,
They chatter and clatter down the hall,
Like a circus troupe that missed the call.
The beeps! Oh, the beeps, they never end,
Machines that chirp and pipes that bend.
A klaxon blares from who knows where,
Maybe the ceiling? Or the doctor’s chair?
The nurses giggle, the doors go slam,
I think I just heard a broken pram!
But here I lie, eyes wide as night,
Dreaming of quiet, holding on tight.
So shut up, please, just for a beat—
I’d like some sleep. Just one retreat!
Verbal Alchemy 