The Fag End of a Lousy Day

Daylight means a lot of things

From the moment the sun rises in the east

A new day begins 

24 hours, divided between toil and rest

Something so standard and taken for granted 

Can mean different things to different people

Today might be the day Susan got married 

Today might be Harry's last

Today could be the day a student gets into college

Today could be the start of a new job

When the day ends and it's night

The hour of witches becomes nigh

Raven hair and ruby lips

Incantations pouring forth from decimated dreams 

We fear the dark and relish the light 

For we can see in light 

And yet for us nyctophiles, the night is full of potential

And besides, we have artificial light

The night is a time for dreaming 

A child put to bed dreams of being an astronaut 

Of hearalding a mission to an unknown planet

Only to find humans there 

Meanwhile in the morning 

The child gets a standard education

He is told aliens don't exist

But they do

They're in his dreams 

They call to him ceaselessly

He attempts to make sense of mathematics 

While in his head Spaceman Spiff and a stuffed tiger 

Go on adventures together 

Tell me, are we adults by day and children by night?

We go to jobs or school

And yet dare to dream too

Meanwhile we get older and older 

Sometimes wiser 

Sometimes sadder 

Sometimes happier 

And we dream on

For what else do we have 

At the fag end of a lousy day

But dreams, which give us the courage to get out of bed the next morning?

The Bilge Master