This summer night is winding down, but everyone is up!

Motorcycles make heavy metal music. Birds, balloons, basketballs fly. Guard dogs bark. Crickets drum. LIFE!

But it is bedtime for me.

My bed is a desert island. The world sails past my window.

Backyard laughter and hot dog smoke. The sound and smell of summer’s end. How can I sleep when everyone is up?

Mister Fishman revs his salmon-colored car. Vroooooooom! His daughter, Delilah, sings silly singsong syllables. La da da dee dee da da da da! Every house blares its own tune and the sweet ruckus mixes like sugar cookie batter.

Even the trees are dancing! And I’m supposed to sleep?

Now a rumble shakes the sky. Boooooooom! The floodlights flicker and the wind moves quicker and the crowd shouts out. “Chuva! Lapli! Rain!”

A jumbled bumble of tumbling people skitter inside, a river of wet dogs running behind.

Droplets drizzle and sizzle on the grill. Burger buns become dough again. The party is over now.

The trees are now the greenest green, the sky the greyest grey. Did you know that if you stare at nature long enough, it stares right back at you?

I start to close the window but the wind bellows out. “Leave it open! Soak up the slishy sloshy sound!”

I fall back on the pillow, still not ready for sleep. No, no, no! Not just yet. First, I tuck my stuffie under the comfort of my covers. He’s restless too, but so are all the pelicans.

P…E…L…I…C…A…N! Pelican! Now spell again! P…E…L…I…C…A…N! Do you have a stuffie too? Good. Hug them tight. Spell their name, then say goodnight. Tell them it will be all right. Remember: more life awaits the well-rested ones. Who will you be tomorrow? Shhhhh! Don’t tell me just yet. Show me tomorrow when everyone is up.

But now they are asleep.