A Still Morning

The alarm goes off at 3am

But she was already awake

She walks to the shower

And gets out quickly

Drying her hair as fast as she can

She throws on some jeans

And a worn old sweater

It’s still dark as she heads out silently

She gets to the bus stop

After a mile or so

Paying the fare she takes a seat in the back

The road is long

And the rain pours outside

She gets off at the stop

In the middle of nowhere

She’s picked up

While she’s silent as she reaches

Her destination

She puts on some boots

And heads to the barn

Taking a shovel and barrow

The work is hard

Shoveling in the rain

And she counts slowly

Through the hours of labor

It’s therapeutic,

Simple,

Backbreaking

She finishes worn

Tired, and cold

As she’s driven back to the stop

She gets on the bus paying her fare

Taking a seat in the back

She reaches the city—her home

But she still smells of earth and horse

She walks back the mile, trudging to the shower

With not a word spoken all trip

She dries off clean

Taking a few pills

And falls asleep tired and sore