Patiently Waiting Poem by Barry Middleton

beside the lamp there sits a chair
and nothing else is waiting there

and nothing in the night's surmise
can move or entertain surprise

winter comes with stacks of books
my hat and coat are on the hooks

and nothing in the crisp fall air
can save me from the cold despair

for those who live within the mind
the shadowed night is never kind

I close the book and take my meal
and pray that I might make a deal

for if death stalks me in the night
then I will gladly quit the fight

but should I wake to more dismay
I'll try to tolerate the day

with patience for the quiet release
of painless night and endless peace