A drop of melatonin

sears a canyon of sleep

through my cluttered mind

and its thoughtless curves.

No longer can I think.

No more can I stay awake.

Sleep takes hold of me

and my thoughts drift away

and nothingness takes their place.

But when I sleep, I dream:

Thought begins again.

My consciousness begins anew.

But still there is nothingness

despite my self-evident consciousness.

The room is entirely dark,

but I remain entirely aware.

The spark lights up.

The light sweeps across the space.

Now nothingness gives way

to anything and everything

that I could ever dream of seeing.

That anyone could ever dream of seeing.

And I am suddenly awake.

Awake in the figurative sense, of course.

What I see directly ahead

and surrounding my consciousness

is the whole of thought.

The whole of my thought.

I realize thought is necessary.

I realize thought is beautiful.

I am a part of something beautiful.

We are all a part of something beautiful.

And I am suddenly awake.

Awake in the literal sense, of course.

And I think.