4:30 AM
I’ve been called old before my time
For rising before that damned yellow speck does
Rising when the best of us finally fall asleep
And being asleep when the best of us are at their best
Still, I cherish those early mornings
Before that damned yellow speck gets up there amidst the blue
I absorb a little placidity
When the birds come forth from their nests
And all I hear besides their mating chirps
Is the match that I strike
As I light my first cigarette of the day
A man can really get to appreciate solitude
With just a Marlboro Red
And a tallboy in a paper bag
On his front porch
At 4:30 in the morning
After seven good hours of sleep
But still two and a half
Before the kiss, morning sex, shower, shave, coffee, scrambled eggs and turkey sausage, and drive to work routine
Many tell me I should sleep more
I’ve followed their advice – for a time
But I missed that brief half hour
When all is silent
When the night owls are in bed
And the early risers are in bed
And I am alone
With just a Marlboro Red
And a tallboy in a paper bag
Before the kiss, morning sex, shower, shave, coffee, scrambled eggs and turkey sausage, and drive to work routine
Many tell me I should stay up later
I’ve followed their advice – for a time
But everyone drinks in the evenings
Only true stalwarts drink in the morning
4:30 a.m. is the only time
When I can relate to the world
On the verge of something new
The old having passed away
And always, just a cigarette
Keeping me company
Alfonso Colasuonno is a 29-year-old poet and short fiction writer based in Pennsylvania. He graduated from Beloit College with a BA in Creative Writing. His work has been featured or is forthcoming in Gutter Eloquence, Citizens for Decent Literature, Yellow Mama, Horror Sleaze Trash, Pink Litter, Dead Snakes, and Bone Orchard Poetry.
Copyright © 2014 by Alfonso Colasuonno