Sleep.

Counting sheep, and

Sleep.

Bedtime stories, and

Sleep.

Lullabies, and

Sleep.

Dreams and Nightmares and Hopes and Fears and

Sleep.

 

See, everything we do revolves around it.

Night, sun down, that’s when you sleep.

Day, sun up, that’s when you don’t…

Unless you break the rules.

Overtime, third shift, study sessions, all-nighters,

Break the rules.

You break the rules and Day Dream,

While others daydream.

Dreams come any time, but we would call them ideas without

Sleep.

 

Martin Luther King Jr. made us dream.

Still today, his world only exists when you

Sleep.

 

(But we’re getting there… slowly)

Sleep.

 

It brings us together.  It unifies us.  Regardless of race, religion, orientation, location, status, income, when we’re tired we all

Sleep.

 

It’s what my mom has to hold on to when my dad is flying a trip, far away from her – under the same sky they both

Sleep.

 

That’s what you get for marrying a pilot I suppose…

Sleep.

 

We all don’t sleep enough,

Want more hours in the day.

But even if we got them

We’d just work them all away.

Maybe if we took the time

To get a good night’s sleep.

We’d be better to each other,

Make decisions we could keep.

Sleep.

 

I need at least seven hours to function,

Needed much less as a munchkin.

Still can’t get it through my head

Waking restless not rested.

My bad habits limit my potential,

Sometimes I feel like I’ve gone mental.

In sleep I dream, learn, refresh,

A good day starts, I know I got the best

Sleep.

 

There’s so much to love in this life

Food, family, the woman who’ll be my wife.

But without sleep, nothing would be possible,

I sleep to dream, think, and overcome obstacles.

I’ve been fortunate, blessed I would say,

To live a charmed life, feel safe every day.

I don’t have a sad story, a life-changing event,

Just a culmination of experiences, past and present.

Sleep.

 

So what I need, can’t be without

Isn’t clear, comes with doubt.

I think of the woman, so essential

Without her, life feels like a rental.

But Danielle, it’s not personal

It’s something basic, deep and versatile.

Without my sleep, I can’t think,

I can’t breathe, I’m on the brink

Of a discovery, about myself

Because in my mind, I have a shelf

That holds my hopes, and holds my dreams,

There’s one for fears, and in-betweens,

For the times, when I’m not sure

What I want, so insecure.

And these shelves, they hold myself

Only I can see them, no one else.

And in my sleep, I can review them

Analyze myself, objectively viewing.

So the person I present,

Is exactly what I meant.

And the people that I serve,

Who I love, and who I cure,

Experience the best

Of all the these things,

Here on my shelves.

Sleep.

 

So when you ask me, what I need,

Can’t live without, make up my creed

It’s not my girl, my family,

Though left without, I’d forever grieve.

But it’s my sleep, my great retreat,

Where all my parts become the “me”

And where I know that I can be,

Everything I want to be.

It’s so important for us all,

It unites us, like one call,

Gives us a place, to escape,

From sadness, fear and integrate

All the lessons that we’ve learned,

To stop our world which slowly burns

So we can give our next of kin,

A world which they can believe in

And have the life that they desire,

Instead of “happiness” for hire.

Sleep.

 

So when you plug in your iPhone,

And close your eyes to what you’ve known

Remember, open up your mind,

To what you can be all the time.

So let’s be grateful, not get mad,

For the sake of all we have

All our assets, and what we lack

Let’s dream together, and we’ll unpack

Kindness, Care, Compassion, Love

From dusty boxes high above,

All the shelves we like to frequent

And in the morning, in the present

Show the world just who we are,

Wear these proudly like a scar,

Of a time when we each focused

On each other; you all know this!

Instead of playing silly games,

Chasing money, cars, and fame,

We should try to make things better,

Steer out ship to clearer weather.

Navigate, be the skipper,

No Gilligan’s Island in the picture.

Sleep.

 

The ability lies within us,

In those boxes, on those shelves

There’s a reason “In God We Trust,”

Is written on dollar bills.

We can do this, I believe

With commitment and support,

Not perfection do we need,

But participation from our cohort.

In my life I will strive,

To contribute skills in me,

And hopefully to thrive

Through physical therapy.

My goal to help people,

Move right and feel better,

Is born of ways that we pull

Others as trend-setters.

I’ll try to set the example

Through not just words, but my actions,

I’ll reflect on things in sleep,

Things I’ll always have your back on.

But in my role of helper

It simply goes without saying,

That as I provide healthcare

Sleeping right prevents dismaying.

Sleep.

 

So I explain why sleep to me

Trumps girlfriend, God and family,

In the hope I open eyes

And our efforts fill the skies

With stories of the ways we help,

And give for others of ourselves.

For if we give and give and give

Maybe more of us can live

Lives of prosperity and peace,

Now close your eyes and get some

Sleep.