On On On On On On Off

The child won't sleep
he is wakeful and wants
to hear about star wars
and guess the names
of every masked alien
in a fold out magazine.

The child won't sleep
he is giving me his splint
which needs to be washed
and smells of sweaty ick
relating the detailed
instructions of its care.

The child won't sleep
he is playing with some
noisey toy to keep his
hands busy while listening
to a book on CD
with the door half open.

One more hug
One more bite
One more look
One more question
One more tick of the clock

The child is asleep