Moved By The Night

Follow me

In my thoughts and actions

The sun was out

The weather was warmer than it has been

You felt like there is nothing you couldn't do

Waking up early

Only trying to tackle

What is within my reach

Making the most of my day

Squeezing in food shopping at the grocery store

Going on errands that needed to be done

Preparing breakfast, sliding in lunch, topping it off with a light supper

Hanging up the laundry from the wash

While outside watering the flowers that are bone dry

Raking up some leaves that need to disappear

A wonderful shower to clean off any dirt and wash off any bad feelings that have come my way

Now a little before eight

The darkness moves in

I grab a bowl of cut-up celery to chomp

As I sit down on the laptop for the first time today

My head now filled up with all the ideas that have been floating around

I am eager to begin

With all my chores and obligations finished

Now I can do what I want to do

My wife drawing earlier and listening to the news

Listening to the t.v. in the background

I sit one room away

Off in our kitchen

I stare out into the pitch-black

As the only light that can be seen

Is the reflection of the kitchen light against the glass

I had so many plans that never came true

If I had a briefcase it would be stuffed

With so many notes and drawings

It is never too late to begin

If I was in college

It would be all my homework assignments

Requiring my immediate attention

I know I have to begin with one class

Then when that one is finished

Moving on until the next one is done

With that one out of the way

I am making some good progress

No time to relax

If I stop I will lose my momentum

The next subject is my toughest

I move it to the bottom

Waiting for when I am ready

Then I can rattle it off when the time is right

There isn't a class I can leave out

From time to time

I close my eyes

I picture each assignment being completed

Not just haphazardly

But with full commitment and dedication

Like nothing else matters

I pour another glass of water

This has to be my fifth one

Some people turn to alcohol

To get there fix

I turn on my motivation

Then drive it to overdrive

Where I know if I don't do it now

It won't get done

I set my mind free

I picture me spending a day at the beach

Where the water is so cold

But that doesn't stop me

From jumping in

Rushing back out as fast as I can

Shivering from the chill

In just a few minutes warming up again

I can feel the heat on my brow

The sun so bright

Even with sunglasses

It is still a challenge

As my eyes squint

My stomach finally settles from all the food I had earlier

I reach over to have some peanuts

Even the peanuts don't give up without a fight

As I crack each one with my teeth

Forcing them out of their shell

My wife asks for some grapes

No problem

I am getting up anyway

For the seventh-inning stretch

The hours tick on by

All my progress depends on it

Every move is crucial

When the day is over

What will I have to show for it?

Writing that came out of thin air

One that means something to me

It required all my time and energy

I had to constantly rearrange my sentences

Correct my spelling as I go

I didn't do it alone

Spell check is a wonderful invention

That never gets the spotlight it deserves

I could go on for hours

Opening up another can of worms

Instead, I keep focused

Pulling the grapes from the stem

I feel the cold water on my fingertips

As I wash them off

Topped off by a swirl of whip cream

I decided to have some too

A quick pick me up

As I finish my last few lines

I float like a small branch

Caught by the force of the river

I thought I have made each of my choices

Then again maybe

I was guided in the right direction

By the people who know me well

By following their lead

I can write one more poem

When light can no longer be seen

In the darkness, we will flourish

All it takes is one-click

When I hit publish