Ode to Sleep

Praise be sung for you, O Majestic Sleep;
Superfluous gratitude for you I keep.
In my life you are the only one who heals
The only one, who with my trouble, deals.

I sing your praises for loving you are
You come to us from the heavenly star.
When night drops its starry veil over day-
To our minds and bodies you find you way.

Tip-toe, tip-toe you quietly come to us
The body accepts you without any fuss;
Into your comforting lullaby we sink
The body relaxes without 'nother blink.

The tensions of the day, to strangle us, fear
When they see your heavenly form appear;
Troubles which earlier were under the nose
On your arrival, are not even close!

And then our inner spiritual self
Finds the ever-wanted peace with your help.
The body relaxes and so does the mind,
O Sleep! you are so very kind!

No Past, no Present, no Future when you come,
All these bodily aspects simply go numb.
We only experience the goodness of God,
Which Man from eternity has sought.

Pain and suffering all are forgotten
To all these your divine song does threaten.
Rich or poor, black or white, you give to all
Your healing balm when they call.

The World of Dreams you own and also rule-
You show us dreams which are often so cool;
A child's fairyland to us you bring,
A nursery rhyme to us you sing!

And as I near the end of this song
       The tone of my little lines I shall change:
For I shall bring forth a thought so strong,
       That you will surely find it strange!

All over the world it is known:
        That men become wiser when they're grown.
The zenith of wisdom then is reached,
        When old age by the body preached.
Then the value of sleep men find
        And realize that Sleep was kind. 
Then, forsaking their health and wealth
        THEY SLEEP THE SLEEP OF DEATH.

                                                     --R. Ranjan