Afternoon Nap

I closed my eyes and went to sleep,

Some time around, say half past three,

And slept so peacefully and deep,

I did not know that I was me.

And when I woke

I found twas true,

Ah, how my head was filled with gloom,

And you did not know you were you,

And by my pillow lay, I knew,

Some other older, white haired bloke,

And I did recognise him not,

For in my ancient sleep forgot,

That I was me and he, him whom

I once had wed when we were new.

And then my pillow I did soak

With tears of sorrow, thinking how

We’d got so furrowed in the brow,

So haggard, wizened, long in tooth,

Such that we could not hide the truth

Of what we had in time become,

Lopsided, stiffened, shrunk of gum,

Speckled, dappled, slow of mind,

With bags of bone for a behind,

Our flesh too soft our skin too thin,

And both of us with bearded chin.

And then I watched as you came in,

With good,hot tea upon a tray,

And knew that I had been away

And that as yet was middle aged.

And all my dream had just presaged

Was of a distant time ahead,

The future found us still in bed,

Together, old, but not yet dead,

So I suggested we make hay,

While still was only afternoon,

And winter nights were coming soon,

And so we passed the time away.