Night Without Light. Comical Poem 846 by Angela Lansbury

 I knew the time was three a.m.

Everything was dark again

When I wake at night and everything's dark

Darker than trees in a closed park

Darker than streets without any lights

Darker than moonless, cloud-free nights

Darker than oceans of endless deep

Darker than nights of dreamless sleep

So dark that all birds and cats are asleep

Even emails and whatsapp are scared to bleep

Somewhere out there the hiding stars

Like clouds, work done, have all gone home

Leaving me here, all alone

What to wear tomorrow? I can't decide

Every useful thought has died

Even the luminous shoes are hiding

So dark I can't see a single dress

But the lack of light banishes distress

Because everything matches, what could I lack?

My perfect wardrobe's all matching black

All's black as coal in a coal-black sack

The files and socks, the silent clock

But I can tell it's 3 am

Because my black sheets call me back again

I looked for good illustrations

About my poem on black night

I like to end text with happy thoughts

You can't see pictures - they're all white.

Next day in the morning

I can see  that light is dawning

I still need to put on a light

I love the light, so bright and white

At night I'm thankful for the moon

But when the day comes I love the sun

I like the candle which I rolled

Electric light extends day's fun.

-ends-

Please share links to your favourite poems.

My poetry books are on amazon.com and lulu.com/

Extended with the last two verses on Tuesday September 1st 2026.

I rolled the candle at the Headstone event on bank holiday Monday, the previous day.

I have added it as a separate poem.

The Escape Part 2. Comical poem 815 by Angela Lansbury.

Babies wake alone, start screaming

Children play, wake neighbours, shouting

Their mother snatches sleep, dreaming

Why is no-one helping, listening?

Their Dad was reading about football

Admiring heroes who were brave

He ran down to the sandy beach

Then hid in his dark, silent cave

His daughter ran down after him

Called, 'Don't hide, Dad, you won't win

Don't stay here working on your own

With her! Your kids say, please come home!'

Parents did their duty voting

But the council didn't listen

Voters complained, puzzled, in doubt

Thought things could change, voted, all out

Poets sighed, unread introverts

Wrote unpaid, yet no-one listened 

Songwriters' success? Add music, rhyme

Please, composers, help me this time!

Keen teens copy stars and royals

Cheaters think lovers are loyal

We all hope someone else will save

The world, while we hide in our cave.

And yet, each room within our home

Each street, park, garden, where we roam

Is filled with plants and fulfilled schemes

We can build new worlds from our dreams. 

-ends-

Reading time 2 minutes.

Version one tells poets to use rhymes, or write songs.

Version 2 seeks a composer.

Version 1 has the mother screaming - for help from her husband and the neighbours her children are annoying. Version 2 has her dreaming of help.

Usually I update a poem and show only the second or last version, with a footnote at the end about previous versions and how I improved the rhyme, rhythm, or removed repetition and added variety.

However, this time the poems have different messages to the audience, so I have included both as separate poems.

Please share links to your favourite poems.

The Escape Cave version 1. Comical poem 814 by Angela Lansbury.

The Lake at The Hayes Conference Centre, photo by Angela Lansbury. Copyright.

At night we dream of peaceful lakes

Where leafy trees arch over us

But that dream's gone in harsh daybreak

Some stay calm; others make a fuss

Their baby was awake, screaming

Children woke the neighbours, screaming

Their sleeping mother, woke screaming

Why does no-one help or listen?

Their Dad was reading about football

Admiring active heroes, brave

He ran down to the sea, beach, waves

Then hid in his dark, silent cave

His daughter ran

down after him

Shouted, 'Don't hide, Dad, you won't win

Don't stay here working on your own

With her! Your kids say, please come home!'

Parents did their duty voting

But the council didn't listen

Voters complained, puzzled, in doubt

Thought things could change, voted all out

Poets sighed, unread introverts

Wrote, stayed poor, cos no-one listened 

Songwriters' success? Add music, rhyme

Poets, please, hear me, this time!

Keen teens copy stars and royals

Cheaters think lovers are loyal

We all hope someone else will save

The world, while we hide in our cave.

-ends-

Reading time one and a half minutes.

Version one tells poets to use rhymes, or write songs.

Version 1 seeks a composer.

Version 1 has the mother screaming - for help from her husband and the neighbours her children are annoying. Version 2 has her dreaming of help.

See version 2 for more footnotes.