I fly
out of
these nights
with the subtle
determination
of dawn–fueled
by tea and
hoped-for coffee
at the corner
where they all gather
But before I get there
I stumble on
a shoe lace–
not gravely, but enough
to pause, take care
of business & notice
another red and purple
leaf streaked with yellow–
put that in my pocket
feel uncertain
about almost everything
remark a morning cloud
over the church tower
in its own slow
and determined direction
and resume my mission
up to the corner.