Gray Fall

Downing news and coffee, hands may shake

though there’s really nothing wrong with you at all

in needing an alarm clock to awake.

Days when the trees shine after dense clouds break

sustain one through the long gray fall

though downing news and coffee hands may shake.

Hard to say why the greediness wouldn’t brake

and the surging tempers on top of it all.

Some always need alarm clocks to awake.

Disasters, bombings, and the rest don’t make

our own time spent among bad fates more small;

having downed bad news and coffee hands will shake.

So many steps now until we finally take

the winding last ones past our own great wall--

still relying on alarm clocks to awake.

In the cycling seasons some might fake

triumphant spirit till the angels call

but downing news and coffee our hands shake

and still we need alarm calls to awake.