Good morning, good morning

[netpositive]

A tale of going east to west to north to south,
and around and around and around to come out: here.

5:02 AM. The arrival phone call from the airport.
Rise up and out of the house in ten minutes flat,
a mug of Pepsi One wedged next to the parking brake.
Off to Dulles. Roadway empty, sky a sullen blue.
A lighted flag, lifted only slightly by the breeze,
is vivid against the heavy cloud cover in the west.
Pick up around 5:40. The airport turnaround brings
to view a softer blue growing behind breaking clouds.
Traffic on the road just traveled picking up quickly
as business people push to make their flying daytrips.
On autopilot, see the 495-N sign but miss the exit.
Knowing this route well, cloverleaf to reverse course
again just before a 6 AM 66-E backup swallows all hope.
Around Beltway. up Parkway, all against commuter flow.
Friendly chatter about well-known things and mysteries
as the suitcase and guitar rattle together in the back.
Dawn is still hidden behind the passing cloudwall as
I leave Laurel at 6:40. Later would have been too late;
295-S thickens several times like a snake eating mice.
At Pennsylvania East the first rays of sunlight hit.
Do de loop de loop one last time to change direction,
from south to west-south-west, and open the car windows
to chill my bare arms before picking up hot chai tea.

Home at 7:40. Still dew on the tulips and a lonely iris,
and the fancy coral azalea blooms slowly in the shade.

Got the time tick-tick-tick-tickin' in my head
Got the time tick-tick-tick-tickin' in my head
Got the time tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-
Joe Jackson