A.M. Delimma

at about 4:42 this morning in deep slumber wrapped in a two comforter cocoon, I hear an electronic chirp in my dream which doesn’t correspond to whatever I was imagining at the moment. and then I hear it again moving me more to conciousness. and then again and I am awake. fully tired and annoyed. maybe it’s something that’s alerting me to danger? I listen. nothing. I drift back to sleep. chirp. ok, I’m awake again. I really hate it if I have to get up in the cold air to change my smoke alarm battery, because we have 2 or 3 on this floor and in this room it’s way up on the vaulted ceiling. and I’ll be damned if I’m going to the garage to get the ladder where it’s a truer indicator of the outside temperature. a chirp reminds me to make a decision. I know I don’t have any spare 9 volts…I got a drawer full of AA and AAAs but no 9 volts. and watch me take it out and a fire breaks out somewhere in the house. a chirp echos sounds in agreement. An echo might mean the loft alarm i reason, I scramble to the alarm, open it and see a silver Everready battery with the Cat jumping through the 9. its lives about through. I have a childhood flashback of me sticking my tongue into a terminal and getting a shock. No more chirps. I return to bed fearing I can’t sleep. The mass in the bed next to me mumbles. The sandman beckons.