Red Eyes

Red lights meant something different at these crossroads,
Sometimes,
when the fog arrested the mid morning's confidence,
just because it could,
we learned to acquiesce,

Acquiescing was an acquired skill,
certainly one that I did not care to acquire

So I stayed up late,
or early,
if you we're a pessimist,

and I taught myself to hold a breath,
hold it together for all of us,

and I watched that red light dissipate,
quickly and with warning,

and then it came again,
but like most things,
carrying with it simultaneously,
the promise of hope and the steadfast certainty of disappointment

it was just to keep the planes away,
just long enough,
at least until the Tuesday after the turn

Oh, divine and crimson clarion of the night skies,
put me back to the subtle slumber from whence I came