The night is dark and daunting
The sun has gone to bed
Now everyone is snoring
As through the night I tread

I settle in my corner
Amidst my flimsy blankets
And hum a self-assuring tone
As I try to stay up

The clock hands tick on and on
Resisting the pull of slumber
Debugging projects lost in night
As I strive to stay up

My coffee-addled bloodstream
Resisting the pull of slumber
No matter how I strive and strain
I can't seem to stay up

I fight against the setting sun
Replacing breath with concentration
As precious minutes turn to hours
I'm determined to stay up

But fatigue will always win eventually
Finding its ways into thoughts
Its intensity growing with each passing hour
As I vainly struggle to stay up

The hours crawling by at a lethargic pace
Framed against the moonless sky
Each ticking like a heartbeat set to end
As I put my final efforts to stay up

The elusive breaks of the morning
Forced to revel in drowsiness
Enjoying its gentle embrace
As I finally succumb and give up.