Sleepless & So: Addled

Squirrels wake me up

–not so cute! squirrels

–not spinnin’ on bird feeder squirrels

–not Chip ‘n Dale polite squirrels, either

they

blast

err sirens

in lieu of

alarm

–which understandably,

comes along for the ride

to wee hours

squirrel!

ER

. . .

figurative or no,

these

foaming at the mouth

nut collectors

crawl out from

inner reaches

colored grey

–nattering and gnawing

skipping & jump-

squirrel!

in possibilities

colored black

as a studied anti-vaxxer

in a LARGELY undecided

life

peppered with

one-ways

& signposts

& fences

& dead ends

erected by

squirrel!

(more decisive rodents)

sleep runs limpin’ away

stuffing

squirrel!

cheeks

with hopeful acorns

when I find them

–usually by twisting an ankle as

they appear blessedly under

squirrel!

gratitude lists

and

pause

squirrel!

itive thinking

is hard won in

PJ’s

though. . .

the best I can do

at 3 a.m.

is entice them w Costco-sized canisters

of “you’ll regret that tomorrows”

and choke them w vapors that taste of nascent

squirrel!

to tame them and trick them

onto hamster wheels crowning me

(one nut at a time)

in cacophonous racket

I must needs

drown

–in media streaming

squirrel!

my leaky eyeballs

red.