Sleep Poems | Poemist

Popular Sleep Poems

Lament

by Dylan Thomas

When I was a windy boy and a bit
And the black spit of the chapel fold,
(Sighed the old ram rod, dying of women),
I tiptoed shy in the gooseberry wood,
The rude owl cried like a tell-tale tit,
I skipped in a blush as the big girls rolled
Nine-pin down on donkey's common,
And on seesaw sunday nights I wooed
Whoever I would with my wicked eyes,
The whole of the moon I could love and leave

......

Disabled

by Wilfred Owen

He sat in a wheeled chair, waiting for dark,
And shivered in his ghastly suit of grey,
Legless, sewn short at elbow. Through the park
Voices of boys rang saddening like a hymn,
Voices of play and pleasure after day,
Till gathering sleep had mothered them from him.

About this time Town used to swing so gay
When glow-lamps budded in the light blue trees,
And girls glanced lovelier as the air grew dim,-

......

The Country Of Marriage

by Wendell Berry

I.

I dream of you walking at night along the streams
of the country of my birth, warm blooms and the nightsongs
of birds opening around you as you walk.
You are holding in your body the dark seed of my sleep.

II.

This comes after silence. Was it something I said

......

The Weed

by Elizabeth Bishop

I dreamed that dead, and meditating,
I lay upon a grave, or bed,
(at least, some cold and close-built bower).
In the cold heart, its final thought
stood frozen, drawn immense and clear,
stiff and idle as I was there;
and we remained unchanged together
for a year, a minute, an hour.
Suddenly there was a motion,
as startling, there, to every sense

......

The Duel

by Eugene Field

The gingham dog and the calico cat
Side by side on the table sat;
'T was half-past twelve, and (what do you think!)
Nor one nor t' other had slept a wink!
The old Dutch clock and the Chinese plate
Appeared to know as sure as fate
There was going to be a terrible spat.
(I wasn't there; I simply state
What was told to me by the Chinese plate!)

......

Recent Sleep Poems

Our Beach Vacation

by Dr. Robert Ippaso

Wait
This can't be a mistake

The morning light
Is just too bright

We've overslept
Curled up in bed

Now we must rush

......

Last Look

by Evelyn Judy Buehler

Graceful, tall grasses
A raspberry sun peers through
from the purple sky
steps ahead of tomorrow
to nature's joy and sorrow.

Burgundy fever
smoking beautiful colors
when shadows run wild!
Must get one more glimpse of red

......

Midnights

by Everleigh Blackburn

At the stroke of midnight,
The world falls silent and still.
The moon shines brightly above,
Casting shadows that chill.

The stars twinkle and dance,
In the night sky above.
A gentle breeze whispers secrets,
Of lost dreams and love.

......

Sweet Crickets

by Amy Michelle Mosier

Sweet crickets, the tune
You’re playing tempts me to sleep.
By your tune, I will drift off
Better to a place dark and deep.
The low moon and toads
As well as I are your audience.
Why, even the saguaro blooms
Have opened with interest!
The night will soon bend over
And kiss my eyelids closed.

......

Manifest Destiny (Or: Let’s Do It)

by Jessica Leininger

Four horsemen
Appear in our nightmares.

Like that perfect ten,
That they are but dreams.

Our demons exercise
While we sleep.

This means we wake to

......