He awoke this morning
having had an off and on
restless night of sleep.
At his advanced age that
had become the norm for
him. He was grateful
that he was able to
rest at all. Many his age
were not so lucky. He
was aching from his
chronic arthritis, but
had been somewhat
refreshed by the sleep
he managed to get.
Was today to be a
repeat of yesterday
and the many days
preceding? For him,
possibly. He and his
pup needed their routine
to make it through
the lonely hours of
disabling confinement
to their small living
space. There would be
coffee, music, cigarettes,
TV, reading and writing
to occupy his time. He
knew pup was satisfied
with treats, meal time
and the napping comfort
of his lap. Now, the world
at large, that vast malaise
of law and disorder was
another story of concern.
Pandemic virus, global
warming, raging forest
fires in the West, in Italy,
Turkey and Greece, the
recent flooding in Belgium
and Germany. Afghanistan
was under siege by the
Taliban as the US continued
its military withdraw. The
world outside seemed a
perilous place. But he
realized only for now,
this day, this moment in
time, he, his pup and their
routine were safe. He would
get by just fine on what sleep
he was able to get last night.
There were also the occasional
nap times during the day
which would refresh him.
He sipped his morning coffee,
situated the pup in the recliner
between his legs, took a long
slow drag of his cigarette, and
began to write, not having the
foggiest idea where it would lead.
-30-
Chris Hanch 8-9-2021
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