EVERY FIFTEEN MINUTES

It seems I am waking up every fifteen minutes.

All night like this –

I wake up thinking about the job.

I look to the window to gauge the time

And it always seems to be about 6 A.M.

My alarm is set for 6:30. I need to be at work at 7:30.

I try to sleep again and I have wake/sleep thoughts about the job

And then I’m completely awake again.

I look at the window and you know what time it seems to be.

The bed is warm where I lie and cool where I don’t.

I hear the heat coming up and I turn over again, the sheet and the blanket

Up around my ear.

My side hurts and my arm is sore

And it’s been six o’clock for hours now.

It’s only a matter of time before it’s 6:30.

I refuse to check the real time.

The clouds are up above it all looking down on my car encased in the morning frost

And they just keep moving on

With their knowledge that people are not good to each other,

Everyone dies and most die unfulfilled

And fake 6 A.M. is a terrible time

But not as bad as the real 6:30 –

And the real 7:30 is the worst time of all.