9

Who sleeps at night? No one is sleeping.
In the cradle a child is screaming.
An old man sits over his death, and anyone
young enough talks to his love, breathes
into her lips, looks into her eyes.

Once asleep who knows if we'll wake again?
We have time, we have time, we have time to sleep!

From house to house the sharp-eyed
watchman goes with his pink lantern
and over the pillow scatters the rattle
of his loud clapper, rumbling.

Don't sleep! Be firm! Listen, the alternative
is everlasting sleep. Your everlasting house!