Rising

Unconscious, eyes closed shut,

his hand, on auto-pilot, reaches out

before the 6 AM alarm cries out.

A tender stillness lingers in the air,

while the long black night slowly fades

into the gray disconsolation of early dawn,

and the sun’s fingers stretch long and wide

across the uncomfortable divide

between midnight black and noontime light.

Inside all others lay dumb in deep sleep

even their sonorous breath is laid to rest.

Slowly sounds disturb his gradual awakening.

Water bugs skitter-scatter round a puddle,

far away cans land curbside with a bang and clang,

and garbage grinds noisily in the distance.

These pull him out of a drowning dream

and the paralyzing weight of fear.

It all feels so real, yet he remembers.

He is just an actor in his own dark dream.

Awake, eyes now opened wide

he stares at the ceiling

where gray morphs into warm bright white.

Suddenly his room is drowning in light.