BJZ Poems and Musings

Like many in their 7th decade I have a bit of difficulty sleeping and often wake up at 2 or 3 in the morning. Not troubled, just alert and pondering life. Some recommend “cognitive shuffling” as a way to ease back into sleep. This poem describes how cognitive shuffling made me go off on a tangent about the letter “X”, further delaying sleep.

The X Factor

At 2 a.m. in the midst of cognitive shuffling,
I couldn’t come up with a bird name that begins with X.
But I fell asleep thinking about that excellent letter.

So few words that begin with X – xylophone, xenophobia;
And when they do, it’s pronounced like “Z”,
Why does X require an E in front to find its voice?

These are complex questions for two lines, crossing at angles.
X marks the spot; Sign here illiterate man with your X;
I hate my ex because he exhausted our savings before he exited.

I expect that SpaceX will one day get to Mars
And the Martian settlers will have the moxie
To nix X from their alphabet.

But their tracks in the red planet dust
Will at times crisscross just the same.

Brian J. Zink March 2025 – Copyright rules apply