UNDISCIPLINED Poems Left to Their Own Devices is a collection of poems by Jan Price, poems about life, her life, what can go right and what can go wrong in life. These poems are all over the place, not disciplined, left to be read as they are. My friend who read through from front to back, each poem in this book, closed the back cover and cried. Sidney, in that moment, gave me the highest compliment. I have met my goal and look forward to others reading and responding to my poetry.
WHEN NIGHT FALLS
by Jan Price
When night falls
I wonder if
I’ll toss about
And twist and turn
And fling and flop
Upon my back
And set my mind
To clearing out
All the thoughts
That fret and flow
Out of my head
And then back in
Then it happens
As I wished not
The toss-about night
It is just that
And here I go
And finally gone
Drift off and hope
I’ll make it through
Night still to come
Without another ses-
sion of no fun
Back to sleep
Until the next
And hopefully not
For at some point
The morning comes
And light shines in
I see my covers
All tied in knots
And wonder what
Happened here
And then I see
In the mirror I pass
The day of the night
The night put asunder
By a body unprepared
To sleep throughout
With a mind joined in
Now eyes all day
That want to sleep
Mind and body too
Night falls again
And wonder no more
Surely the frenzy
Will not make its way
Back into my bed
This night after that
I can count on rest
Ready to get in
And drift off again
This time until morning
Awake up and out
To make a bed
Somewhat in place
For a new day
With eyes wide open
A smile as I pass
That mirror that tells
The truth once more
And hope that night
That was so rough
Won’t happen again
But soon enough
Then will appear
A toss about night
I will survive
And thankful not every
Single night
Suffer these breaks
In sleep rejuvenate
So not to worry
So not to fret
Most nights are restful
And that is just that.