Fall Back

It was nearly pitch-black outside the house
as I stood at the window looking into
the evening that had come too soon.
It was only 6:30 and yet the sky
was the color of a cup of morning coffee
bravely drunk without milk.
I stared at the twinkle of stars that
sparkled like sugar crystals
and wondered where my day
had scampered off to.
It sapped my strength to stare
out into the non-color of night,
Depressed by the dark shades
that had curtained the sky.
I wanted to pull back the blinds
and let the sun shine in, but couldn’t.

They call it fall back, when the hands
and arms of clocks are twisted
to show that time can be manipulated.
Only, the falling back seems to be
a falling into hibernation like grumpy
bears stumbling off into caves
to hide from the cold winter months.
I, too, want to climb into my cave
and wish to not show my head
until the sun decides to shine
past six o’clock again.
But I’m a human, and I’m
above those grumpy bears that hide
from the dark and cold winds.
Life goes on despite the loss of day.
So each morning I crawl out from
my warm nest bed to stumble into the world.

October 30, 2002