Sometimes it's all about time
The time others look at you
Questioning why
Any "normal" person
Would want to stay up half
The night or more
Preferring the quiet and darkness
The peace and stillness
Sounds of dogs breathing
Close by
Fans twirling above
It's as though a paradise
Only other night nurses
Might understand
The 2AM lull
After rushing since 2100 or 2200
Whatever
Schedule goes on where there is
24 hour nursing care
After working so many different shifts
In my career of 30 years
It's no wonder
I like the vampire life
When bats fly
And owls hunt
The kind of nights
Driving home
I see one baby deer
Go across the road in front of me
Knowing it's a sign to hit the brakes
Because right behind the first
There will probably be a second
And there is
A fawn that could have died
If I don't pay attention to the night
As
Three nights ago going to Stimmell Road
To get a cell phone signal
A coyote passes in front of me
By the Timmerman farm
I guess the little canines never left
Even after the farm "bone yard" was removed
A few years back
Yes
At night
There are many things to see
The moon becomes the sun
Quarter moons
Half moons
Three-quarter moons
All mean something to the night person
As when the moon is full
Clients seem a little crazier
Weird things happen
This nurse would rejoice at the full light
It was as though "Summer"
Every 28 days
As the moon waxed and waned
Growing full
Fading away from sight
By shadows cast
Try living night after night
For 16 years of your life
And tell me that
You will never want to stay up all night
As you did for years to make
Money to feed your family
It will be ingrained in you
As it is ingrained in me
So many "off the wall" shifts for nurses
As though we are supposed to be "Super Human"
Working 10 hour shifts
Working 12 hour shifts
Working 8 hour shifts then being required to work
8 more hours
When the next nurse calls in sick
Working 7-10 hours shifts in row
Then having 7 days off
Working from 6AM to 10PM Saturday
Then coming back bright and early Sunday
To work 6AM to 10PM again
Hot Dog!
Those were the days
My friend
So if it's 0230
Now
I'm still up
Writing some silly poem
As the bars in town close
And the drunken go to Denny's
Or Shari's to eat breakfast
Before they pass out
By 4AM
Saturday night
Many are up at 0230 still
But how many can do it
Night after night after night
Not really
"Living"
As the majority of society
Be alive in the middle of the night
Do what makes you happy
Tongues will wag
Let them
Have a big lick of a night person's
Game
I bet you'll lose by 3AM
And the shift doesn't end
Until 0630
Or 0700
Or even 0800
Some people have to be awake all night
And sleep all day
Be glad there are those who will.
