Catch some Zzzz’s

Kirsten was tired, so very tired, but she couldn’t fall asleep.
She tried everything she could think of-
Counting backwards from one hundred and even counting sheep.
But nothing seemed to work. She was still wide-awake.
“Oh, what am I going to do?” she cried. “Oh, what’s it going to take?
I’d give anything to fall asleep right now. Anything… for goodness sake.”

For sometimes when kids stay awake too long and emotion settles in
That makes their parents’ brains go “GONG!” And their eyes begin to spin!

Here’s a word, one you may have heard, to describe Kirsten’s state.
It’s a word, I’m sure, your parents can certainly appreciate.
Are you ready? Here we go! It’s a word that rhymes with hanky.
That’s right, her sleepless night, made Kirsten very CRANKY!

Then something wonderful happened to change Kirsten’s plight
Her father walked in her room and turned on the bedroom light.
Why are you still awake?” he asked. “You should be sound asleep.
Now close your eyes and say your prayers. I don’t want to hear another peep.”

“I can’t!” Kirsten cried.
“I’ve tried. It’s just no use.”

“Come on,” her Dad replied.
“That’s really no excuse.
Just relax. Sleep will come.
Let your mind be at ease.
It’s very late. Now close your eyes.
It’s time to catch your Zzzz’s.”

He tucked her in, kissed her cheek and headed for the door.
Then something occurred to Kirsten that she never thought of before.
“Dad,” she said so curiously. “Wait one minute please.
How do I do it? Catch them I mean… How do I catch these Zzzz’s?”

Her father paused and scratched his chin. Her question was very good.
Then he uttered these words that Kirsten understood.
“Kirsten, my love, to catch these Zzzz’s, simply use your imagination.
Our imagination is a gift from God and it brings illumination.

“Catch some Zzz’s. Catch some Zzz’s.”
Kirsten said over and over inside her head.
“That’s it! That’s what I’ll do! “I’ll do just that!”
And she rolled over in her bed.

All of a sudden, there she was, exploring in her mind,
All of the ways to catch those Zzz’s, Zzzz’s of every kind.

“Where should I start? Oh, where to begin?
There are so many things I could do!”
Her mind raced and began to spin!
And it took her straight to the Zoo!

There it was. As big as could be.
It was right before her eyes.
It was perfect all right-a capital Z.
To catch it would be her prize.

She took out a rope, like the cowboys do
And twirled it around her head.
Then she took her aim and let it go
And through the air it sped.

It landed right upon the Z as she pulled the rope in tight.
And down the Z did tumble with barely any fight.
She caught a Z! A “Z” it was… her very, very first one!
She picked it up and threw it in her sack.
Knowing her mission had just begun.

“I know of another Z,” Kirsten said. “And it’s not very far.
In fact, it’s right here in the Zoo. I don’t even need a car.”
All of a sudden, there she was, in the presence of another Z.
“This one is fast and it has four legs,” she said. “This Z can even flee.”

Then there she was a running, running faster than any girl on Earth.
In an effort to catch the Z – a prize of such great worth.

She ran and ran and chased the Z.
Then something strange took place.
The Zebra moved from side to side.
You should have seen the look on Kirsten’s face!
Yes, this was really happening!
Something amazing had just begun.
The Zebra began to Zig and Zag.
Now there were three Z’s to catch, instead of only one!

Kirsten was no longer running, now she began to fly.
She caught the Z in Zig and yelled to it “Goodbye!”
Now she was after another Z to throw inside her bag.
Oh, not the Z in Zebra, but the Z in the word Zag.
She flew right over the Z and grabbed it from its back.
Then raised her arm triumphantly and tossed it in her sack.

“Now for the Z in Zebra,” she said with a sneer.
As it quickly ran, in a straight line, over the frontier.
Kirsten chased right after the Z.
She was flying lightning fast.
But the Z in Zebra kept running.
And Kirsten was losing gas.

The Z approached a river and across it it did leap.
But before Kirsten could make her jump, she had fallen sound asleep.

Now Kirsten was off in dreamland.
The place where she needed to be.
But it wasn’t because of sheep or cows.
It was because of the letter Z.

Kirsten learned a lesson to help battle her sleepless nights.
That no counting or singing is needed or even turning out the lights.
Just her imagination and a trip to the Zoo,
Or any place, for that matter, where Z’s live will do.

Some say Kirsten is lucky that she fell asleep that night.
Because her next Z was not ordinary and would have put up a bigger fight.
What is this Z you ask? Is it zany or even funny?
Well, I don’t know. You tell me…
the next Z on Kirsten’s list was the Z in the Energizer® Bunny!