The Escape

It’s morning, yes morning
Dawn hasn’t arrived yet
looking at my day, it won’t be
The coffee is bitter
The work piled up
the sky as grey as I feel
in a hotel room
with alone for company
unlike me,
I made time in my schedule
to count my sorrows
but I’m bad at maths
so I’ll make this prison a perch
free the caged bird within me
and think about the tomorrows instead
next week I’ll travel north
over land and sea
to a place where I’ll dress in anonymity
I’ll be invisible,
A transient
I’ll wander aimlessly
And photo bomb tourists and backpackers,
Unintentionally, of course
I’ll feel the warmth of sun
I’ll have breakfast in bed
I’ll feel vibrant as the frangipani perfume
that wafts in from outside the door
I’ll watch the river mullet dance on water
I’ll watch the white heron catch fish
I’ll watch the sun seep into the sky
Twice, yes, twice each day
And know,
I was wrong today
Dawn always arrives.

a dawn bird