Early morning January
fog beams from street lamp
as I bike, rolling onto road, no cars yet
frozen dawn, red glow rising
above the prison
Onto Laws Brook
with a long snake of cars
so off to the side I stay
on sidewalk
over ice a few patches
not too bad
A pause of cars, back on the road now
a bus, the bus that takes my kids to school
pulls heavy in the dark the other way
Dark I am, unseen mostly
a glimpse, a shade
I ride thru a safe space
feeling the bus on one side
and cars, some ahead and some behind
far enough away
strong they are
And I have this space, a small safe space
gliding on the road in January
with red dawn
not much room for error
but enough
They say bad things come
in 3s, I know
1st – my kin’s brush with snuff
2nd, girlfriend breakup
yeah and yuck
And I’m not sure what
the 3rd will be
except it’s coming
yes, am waiting
ready
(2016 – 2018, West Concord, MA)
