at night   when the weight of the world

seems to fall on my shoulders

i read the news   and know the weight

falls on all our shoulders

the weight of the world 

seems heavier than the world itself

that i expect the world to fall from its heavenly perch

at any moment

surprised that it does not   but it does not

it spins and orbits

as if nothing is wrong   the physics of the planet

seem to be sound

the little creatures scurrying around the surface of the planet

seem to be less sound

~

marketa comes out rubbing her eyes

come to bed

i will   

i am cold to the bone

trouble follows me to bed

it seems dire

whatever it is   

did you read about the locusts in the horn of africa

the world health organization

says it is one step from being a plague

which means starvation

did you read that the coronavirus is on the verge of pandemic

did you read that half the senate doesn't care

i did

~

in bed i repeat my mantra

exhale deeply

wait for the sheets to turn from icy to warm

feel the heat of another body

think of friends far away

and near 

try all the tricks i can 

listen to marketa's steady breathing

she is already asleep

she is good at this

she is an optimist

she is the pollyanna to my eeyore

the rainbow to my downpour

oh well

~

my imagination takes me where it wants to go

it always goes to the same place

the neighborhood of make-believe

follows the same template

two souls coming together in perfect harmony

blissing-out in neverland

where rules bend

where what is not allowed is allowed

and pixie dust is in the air

we can fly

my imagination is wonderful

i begin to believe 

it warms me

i see sleep rounding the corner

~

hello sleep