Picking Up the Pen

It's been a while since I've picked up a pen and written down a rhyme. So here it comes, after a mini-vacay from hittin' the sheets (of paper, that is!) Happy Thursday, everyone!

I wake up, my hair in knots
my toes are cold, my cheeks are hot
pressed against the pillow case
a tired and aging face

I slip on my socks and shift across the hard wood
pull on my cotton pants, adjust my sweatshirt hood
reach into the cupboard, pull out the coffee tin
measure one scoop, two, three..add water, dive in

Can't find my toothbrush, my lips are dry
splash water on my skin, watch droplets fly
return to the coffee mug on the table top
await the sunshine, pray the rain soon will stop

Pick up the phone, dial the number on my mind
bring up conversations, any topic I can find
he doesn't answer, I'm not surprised
hang up, no message, close my eyes

Wipe away steam, tears, from coffee or a broken heart
just in time for the lightning strike, the thunder starts
turn on the radio, people murmur nothing new
I turn the off the sound and think for a few

Street lights flicker off, the rain now a misty gray-white
the sun fights the cloud cover and pronounces daylight
a door slams out in the stairwell, the world starts to wake
take the towels from the dryer, give the sheets a shake

The phone rings, I run in the bedroom where it sits
just my brother, I'll call later, unless I forget
return to the kitchen, pour another cup coffee
as he does the same, somewhere far from here, without me.