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Open Poetry #48
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Let Yourself Sleep
| Open Poetry #48 |
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Let Yourself Sleep |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa 
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LET YOURSELF SLEEP 28 October 2012 Late in the night when your work is done and your fires are out turn out the light and the trick is to let yourself go and wrap yourself up in a moment’s grace in the embrace of sleep, long and deep, a healer of the day’s woes and a bolster to take the morrow’s sorrows and joys as thorns and roses. Savour with thankfulness, Sleep, blessed, glorious, beloved Sleep, delicious, nutritious satiating feast for the wearied body, the bewildered mind and the hungry soul. Owl |
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| © Copyright 2012 Diana van den Berg - All Rights Reserved | |||
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r v wooo Senior Member
since 2007-08-07
Posts 656 |
When I think of sleep, I always think of the words of Robert Frost..." and miles to go before I sleep...". Owl, what is your name? RV |
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EmmaRose Senior Member
since 2011-03-02
Posts 1376Midwest |
O sweet sleep....... if only so simple at times  |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Oh, yes, RV! "and I have promises to keep and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep." It goes without saying that I love the little pony too and if it were me, I would explain to him in detail! My name, is Diana. My very first poem that I wrote when I was 7 was inspired by a poem of Robert Frost's - I forget the name of both Frost's poem and mine, but Frost's was a delightful list of all the things he loves, that Dutch blue-patterned crockery being one of them - I forget what the crockery is called. My poem had 3 stanzas of 4 lines each, but I can only remember 4 of the lines. I wish I remembered the other 8. Thank you, RV, for evoking memories of that poem and even more of Frost and particularly, "Stopping by the Woods on a Snowy Evening" which is probably my very, very favourite of his. Thank you EmmaRose. I am sorry to hear that. I am very blessed to be able to fall asleep within seconds and sleep very deeply - and sometimes when I have a lot of work to do on a database and am too tired to focus, I can fall asleep and set my internal alarm clock for a few minutes - usually about 10 minutes - and wake up feeling as though I have had a whole night's sleep. I have probably struggled to sleep for a couple of hours, probably less than 5 times in my entire life. Owl |
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JamesMichael Member Empyrean
since 1999-11-16
Posts 33336Kapolei, Hawaii, USA |
Enjoyed...James |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thank you, James. Owl |
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luminosity Senior Member
since 2005-11-18
Posts 813 |
oh yeeesssss! I am blessed most nights with immediate and restful sleep and you have hit it perfectly |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Thanks, luminosity. Glad you liked it. Owl |
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Krawdad Member Elite
since 2001-01-03
Posts 2597 |
"and the trick is . . ." That's the problem - it seems to be a trick - one I have never quite figured out - else I wouldn't be up at this hour. I'll try focusing on your poem - maybe that will help this time - thanks . . . e |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Giggles (kind ones), Ed. Yes, it IS a trick. And I am so happy you are going to try to focus on my poem to try to get some sleep - that is exactly why I wrote it. I know there are so many people who struggle to sleep and for me it is so easy so it pains me that others can't share that wonderful ability with me. The trick is in firstly knowing it is a trick and a simple one once one has got it right, secondly in the title, "Let yourself sleep" - thus allow yoursef to; give yourself permission to; and thirdly in the line "to let yourself go" - perhaps you - and anyone else who struggles to sleep who reads this - could imagine floating on a cloud, listen to pan flute music - or imagine that you are listening to it - think to yourself "what does anything really matter - and certainly for this moment in the middle of the night when I can't do anything about it" or imagine that you are getting drunk or if things are really bad then say to yourself that you are going to escape it all in sleep or relax your whole body very consciously starting from your toes, then your feet, then your ankles and so on all the way up to the top of your head, I would think the most important would be your shoulders. I know whenever I am tense, I feel it in my shoulders. If your shoulders are very tense, perhaps you can massage your own shoulders - I do when I am tense. Also you could perhaps try being very tired either mentally or physically like doing a lot of gardening or walking a long distance or doing a lot of extra housework - or reading something very complex like some books on philosophy. Perhaps you could also try actively trying to stay awake instead of trying to sleep and maybe your body will get fooled into believing you and want to be perverse and then making you fall asleep, lol! I hope one or more of these ideas help, at least a little bit. Owl |
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Krawdad Member Elite
since 2001-01-03
Posts 2597 |
Well, something helped - maybe it was the bit of melatonin , along with the poem. The yoga practice, as you suggest, works under certain circumstances. It is really about trying to forget the day. Thanks. |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Oh, Ed, I am SO glad something helped – and just in 1 night! If you keep it up, increasing using everything you can think of that works for you each night, it should get better and better – with perhaps some slipbacks along the way, but if you do, and if you then do the Frank Sinatra thing – pick yourself up, dust yourself off and start all over again – you should get back on sleep-track again. Yes, the trick is to LET yourself sleep and LET yourself go and FORGET the day. Another trick could be is to remember any good part of the day and another could be to make sure that there IS a good part of the day to remember. Perhaps others can take heart at your words, more than mine as I am just a wannabee help. Owl |
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OwlSA Member Rara Avis
since 2005-11-07
Posts 9347Durban, South Africa |
Ed, if you are still reading, you probably know all of what is in the 2 following links, but here they are in case you don't - and it may help others who struggle to sleep who may read this. Being blessed with an unimaginable level of health, I know next to nothing about bad health or disorders or medicines, but in skimming these briefly as I didn't have time to read them, it sounds good. http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melatonin Owl |
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