subtext

• •

grounded

bare branches lace the grey sky to the ground

as the rain continues into the day

again I wait in a doctor’s office

an event more often than not these days

but what can I say I’m no longer young

outside people drive to work through the rain

I still rise long before the sun rises

as I did for the last thirty-four years

I take naps now instead of commuting

I like that I have nothing much to do

that must be done on someone else’s time

my day’s filled with dogs and poetry

both of which provide a steady rhythm 

more suited to the beating of my heart

(January 26, 2024)