3:00 a.m.



3:00 a.m.

It’s not every night but often I’m awakened,
bolt up, back straight, and swat aside the sheets,
pop one eye open in a rankled mood, again.
The ruckus in the basement is like fingernails

against blackboard where previous investigations
revealed a family of slackers, uninvited crickets,  
thriving unrepentant! I’m hosting a happy & frolicking
clan of Orthoptera rubbing the planet’s tiniest  

legs together; an inconsiderate rabble,
squeaking, chirping, dating, mating
under my thin floorboards. They are out of control!
Their frivolous passions can only bring

more crying babies, a million offspring!
Stop multiplying, you terrible tenants!
You lousy racketing insiders.
Unruly kin to neurotic cousins
the long-legged knob-headed spiders.

Enough! You’ve unlocked a nightmare!
Go away you bastards down there!
They make me leave my bed to descend the stairs
Gripping firmly, rolled tightly, yesterday’s newspaper  
and smash every one of them, wearing only my underwear.

About this poem

Sometimes you just have to take matters, regardless of how trivial, into your own hands.

Font size:
Collection  PDF     
 

Written on May 02, 2022

Submitted by connectallan on December 28, 2023

Modified by connectallan on December 29, 2023

52 sec read
121

Quick analysis:

Scheme XXXX AXBX XBXB BXCAC DDXXD
Closest metre Iambic hexameter
Characters 1,008
Words 175
Stanzas 5
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 5, 5

clarence Allan Ebert

As I mentioned; a Baby Boomer fighting cancer - first colon and now a little in my liver. Been writing poetry for a long time but never more so than during the COVID pandemic. Just trying to remain relevant. more…

All clarence Allan Ebert poems | clarence Allan Ebert Books

5 fans

Discuss the poem 3:00 a.m. with the community...

5 Comments
  • lovingempath
    I love the humor and easy flow of your poem Clarence! GET THOSE DAMN CRICKETS!!
    LikeReply3 months ago
  • LadyM
    Emotional familiarity caused me to chuckle...
    Thank you.

    I enjoyed your poem and pray for the best for you..
    Your smile is contagious..Keep passing it along for those of us who may not have one to borrow.... 
    LikeReply 14 months ago
  • karlcfolkes
    The sentiments of this poem are quite relevant. Gotta hand it to you Mister Handyman. As an old geek myself, I would’ve done the same darn smashing thing at three in the morning.
    LikeReply 24 months ago
    • connectallan
      Thanks for your great comment, Karl. Very annoying
      creaturesthos
      e
      crickets!.
      LikeReply 14 months ago
  • connectallan
    Greatly appreciated Gisela Vigil .
    LikeReply4 months ago
  • Giselavigil
    Good writing. Emotions well conveyed thru your words.
    LikeReply 14 months ago

Translation

Find a translation for this poem in other languages:

Select another language:

  • - Select -
  • 简体中文 (Chinese - Simplified)
  • 繁體中文 (Chinese - Traditional)
  • Español (Spanish)
  • Esperanto (Esperanto)
  • 日本語 (Japanese)
  • Português (Portuguese)
  • Deutsch (German)
  • العربية (Arabic)
  • Français (French)
  • Русский (Russian)
  • ಕನ್ನಡ (Kannada)
  • 한국어 (Korean)
  • עברית (Hebrew)
  • Gaeilge (Irish)
  • Українська (Ukrainian)
  • اردو (Urdu)
  • Magyar (Hungarian)
  • मानक हिन्दी (Hindi)
  • Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Italiano (Italian)
  • தமிழ் (Tamil)
  • Türkçe (Turkish)
  • తెలుగు (Telugu)
  • ภาษาไทย (Thai)
  • Tiếng Việt (Vietnamese)
  • Čeština (Czech)
  • Polski (Polish)
  • Bahasa Indonesia (Indonesian)
  • Românește (Romanian)
  • Nederlands (Dutch)
  • Ελληνικά (Greek)
  • Latinum (Latin)
  • Svenska (Swedish)
  • Dansk (Danish)
  • Suomi (Finnish)
  • فارسی (Persian)
  • ייִדיש (Yiddish)
  • հայերեն (Armenian)
  • Norsk (Norwegian)
  • English (English)

Citation

Use the citation below to add this poem to your bibliography:

Style:MLAChicagoAPA

"3:00 a.m." Poetry.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 28 Apr. 2024. <https://www.poetry.com/poem/176969/3:00-a.m.>.

Become a member!

Join our community of poets and poetry lovers to share your work and offer feedback and encouragement to writers all over the world!

April 2024

Poetry Contest

Join our monthly contest for an opportunity to win cash prizes and attain global acclaim for your talent.
2
days
21
hours
36
minutes

Special Program

Earn Rewards!

Unlock exciting rewards such as a free mug and free contest pass by commenting on fellow members' poems today!

Browse Poetry.com

Quiz

Are you a poetry master?

»
Who wrote this? 'Look on my Works, ye Mightyand despair!'
A S.T. Coleridge
B P. B. Shelley
C William Wordsworth
D William Shakespeare