It begins in cold darkness
and the thick solitude of a quiet car
splashing through the empty streets
of town. Flashing traffic lights,
Christmas lights, porch lights
left to burn, water streaked vestiges
of a brighter world I missed while asleep.
This is the time for me. It’s all so clear,
a silent symphony of subtle revelations
otherwise muted by the daylight clamor
of horns, sirens, and screeching wheels.
But even now, there is little time to savor.
Work begins in just two minutes.
A few more gulps of hot coffee
to burn the lingering fog away.
There are deserts to cross
and mountains to climb
before the light of day.
Haunted Avenues 