The Wardrobe’s Best Dressed: A Spotter’s Guide to Invisible Things by Laura Theis

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Sleep Lessons From Birds

I.)
there are dates in the year
when the nights are so bright
even owls become larks

II.)
remember the kindness of sleep is winged
but claw-footed: sleep looks like an eagle-sized nightjar,
poised to swoop down where it spots you

III.)
in a nest, on a tree branch, a rooftop,
a trunk hole, mid-river, or down in the earth:
choose wisely

IV.)
dream of the sky,
dream of yourself as one stitch
in a murmuration

V.)
close your grip, let the tendons
in your talons tighten as you perch,
and you won’t worry about falling

VI.)
watch out for the moths,
they steal tears while you sleep,
don’t let them drink from your eyes

VII.)
if you ask the swifts you should
sleep on the wing, once
you are high enough to glide

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