Miss Nocturne, Or: An Insomniac’s Guide To Sleep
For Nixe (for reasons):
Miss Nocturne, of dreams so few,
Would cry, ere should her eyes bedew,
And drink caffeine the whole night through,
In order to sleep not.
And yet the blush of morning came,
And she could not the songbirds blame,
For bringing forth the rising flame,Whereon night was forgot.
But t’was with sirens all alarmed,
That shadows by the light were harmed,
And soon after, day-wakers charmed,
Against Madame to plot.
Those mortals thus diurnal,
Trapped by natures wheel eternal,
A’nights disturbed by sounds infernal,
Demanded she be shot.
Our heroine o’nocturnal fame,
Was acquainted thus with shame,
And shed her most infamous name,
So too, her coffee pot.
And thus it was with drooping eyes,
Berobed in a duvet disguise,
Destined to somnabulise:
Madame Coquelicot.*
*As I am not acquainted with the harvesting of opiates, I cannot be sure if Coquelicot poppies yield proper opium; also, the rhyme relies on ironic abuse of French pronunciation rules, such as might be forgotten during an opium high, or severe knackeredness.
