Sleep, Child

by Nick Jaina

sleep child, there's more that you can do 
when you're not in the middle of it
sleep child, there's twine and sap
that bind the lines on the map of our town
they're burning the ice house down now
but you can sleep every night in my yard

steal child, steal every blink and breath 
from now til the bell of your death
steal child, steal every line of verse
and please the admirers of your curse
they're burning the reels now
but we can re-inact every film that we've seen

if wine is blood, this bar is the abbatoir
if wine is blood, this bar is the abbatoir
and we have slaughtered every night
we have slaughtered every night of our lives

sleep child, there's more that you can do 
when you're not in the middle of it
sleep child, there's more that you can do 
when you're not in the middle of it
I am incarcerated now
I am in love with the shape of your eyes

© 2010 Nick Jaina