Late Night, Early Morning

In that time between late night and early morning
when sleep has wandered off and gotten lost
I look shut-eyed into the black down and deep inside,
hoping in the absence of dream to perceive something
of my essence, my inner being, my spiritual root stock.

The dirty ebony billows and darkens, giving hope
for revelation or emotional fulfillment or spiritual ease,
but the blood pudding of my soul is thinned by
the lighter, miscolored pastels of nonsense images
which, with luck, sometimes lead me back to sleep.
Which is also okay.