The kingdom of sleep

In the kingdom of sleep,
the bowls of light are arrayed.
Dreams sit at their mythic table
and portend nothing,
playing with the purple tassels
that hang from the arms
of their black chairs.
In the harbor, a ship
is filled with memories
that will sink before dawn.
Gathered in amphora,
they will arise in the awkward future.
The king and consort enter the hall
bearing the perfume of sex
and the image of the sky.
They take their places,
awaiting the daily pleadings
written into a map
that shows the empty spaces in a day.