It's Still Light Out

Come the Winter Solstice I lament the fact that we have just under 8 hours of daylight. Now it's only the middle of April and we have about 14 hours of daylight. By the Summer Solstice we'll have over 18 hours of daylight. As much as I hate the the very long hours of darkness in the winter I find the long summer hours difficult in a different way. Right now I need to start getting myself ready for bed (getting out work and gym clothes for tomorrow, brushing my teeth, brushing the dogs' teeth, brushing the dog...) but if I didn't look at the clock I wouldn't realize it's that time. I'm not feeling sleepy like I should because it's still light out.

I put extra curtains on my bedroom windows because I couldn't fall asleep and because in a month or so the sun will be coming up before I do and I don't particularly like being woken up any earlier than I already have to drag my arse out of bed!  But here downstairs, I can still see the light. It confuses my poor, tiny brain and reminds me of one of my favorite poems from childhood. I memorized it sometime in elementary school for a recital and I still remember it (although I might have a word wrong here or there) although I don't remember the title.  It was one of my favorites because, as a kid, I really hated having to go to bed when it was still light out. It just seemed to be one of the biggest injustices one could suffer (and if that was the biggest injustice of my childhood then I am very fortunate!).

In winter I get up at night 

And dress by yellow candlelight.

In summer it's quite the other way;

I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed and see

The birds still chirping in the tree.

And hear the grown-up peoples' feet

Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,

When all the sky is clear and blue,

When I should like so much to play,

To have to go to bed by day?