The scent of lavender fills the air
Made heavy by summertime heat
The carpet feels gritty, like a warm sandy beach
Nestled roughly under my feet
The hallway feels longer at this hour of day
Each step growing tougher to make
My eyes are now weary, my head in the clouds
Trying hard just to stay awake

Beside me, a child far more alert than I
In this late hour of the day
Still blowing her bubbles and sending them high
At the age when life’s all about play
I still hear the music from across the way
A party now deep into night
The moon’s hidden well on this latter June day
As I realize there’s no rest in sight

I reach to grab water, when coffee should do
As the child decides that sleep is best
I bid her goodnight and then get back to work
For there is no time for great rest
Brahm’s Lullaby beckons and yet, I resist
For I must trudge ahead ’til the dawn
An all night affair, my brain shall persist
And so I shall now carry on