Sleep Deprived Parents

This is a poem I wrote on January 19, 2009, and it's from the point of view of a mother taking care of a young infant.


After a long, busy day
Of taking care of an infant
I'm ready to get some sleep
I finish her 11 p.m. feeding
And put her down in her crib
I quietly tiptoe out of the room
And get ready for bed
But as I lay down in bed
And start to get comfortable
The infant in the other room starts to scream
"No, not now," I think to myself
"Please let me get some sleep."
I try to rouse my husband
But he just rolls over
And mutters something incomprehensible
Sighing with resignation
I get out of my nice, warm bed
And return to the infant
And get her out of her crib
I try everything I know
To get her to go back to sleep
About two hours later
She eventually falls asleep
As I climb back into bed
I look at the alarm clock
And realize something
I have to rouse her again in about two hours!
So much for sleep...