Carol Dorf

THE SLEEP DOCTOR ASKS

What happens under the stars
I tighten the belt on my robe

Do you mean the Kuiper Belt
which is a long way from our star

I want to be prepared
for the examination
under the cover of darkness

How frightened am I?
Before the covers
before the night

Before the first galaxies
were given form by black holes

I want to report the correct answers
say that I meditate upon the stars
that I never watch the night news

I listen to the kitten breathing
darkness

Darkness conceals color
hides the troops filling our streets

What happens under the stars?
Which galaxy should I watch?

This is my first visit
with this sleep doctor

I am rarely afraid of the dark