rules for early risers

by

Some days you will wake up with the sun in your face. Don't turn away
so quickly; move your toes and your thumbs but keep your head still,
keep your soul calm. Some days you will wake up to the sound of his
voice. Pretend he's actually there. Allow yourself to feel the way you felt
a lifetime ago, when you shared mornings and dreams and shelf space.
Time zones. Passages read aloud from books. Plans for the weekend.
Cheap coffee and bagels split into two, because you didn't have much
aside from each other, and you thought that would always be enough.
Some days you will wake up to the smell of rain on the ground, streets
cleansed of all their sins. Some days you will wake up slowly, in drops,
like that leaky faucet you keep forgetting to fix. And some days you will
wake up with your heart in your throat. You'll want to push it down, hard,
beat your neck with your fists, but don't. Uncurl your fingers. Palms open.
Stand whenever you're ready. Wait. Feel your heart slide back into place.