Sunandita's poem is a tiny snapshot of a perfect bedtime routine. The speaker lights candles on a cold winter night, enjoys their gentle glow, and lets the scent of vanilla slowly fill the room. Then comes the simple payoff: under the covers, and almost at once, snoring.
The title, "SOP for sleep," is what makes the poem playful. An SOP, a standard operating procedure, is the sort of dull step-by-step instruction you'd find in an office manual. Applying it to something as cosy as bedtime gives the poem a light, humorous edge, as if relaxing were a process you could follow and get guaranteed results from.
The mood is warm, calm, and contented. The short lines and soft sounds mimic the slowing-down of the evening. The final word, "snore," is a funny and unglamorous ending. Instead of dreamy poetic drifting, we get honest, noisy, satisfied sleep. The speaker seems entirely at peace.