Morning: Rathfarnham

Today, I've made the responsible choice to leave
Yesterday's me in bed and go for a long walk.
Morning is everywhere and soon I'm drenched in it.
I know some of the faces but not all these people
Hurrying by, carrying their closed and secret lives.
Today, I'm a morning person, at one
With the schoolchildren and the businessmen
And that determined woman, perched high in her SUV.
Or this bus driver, whose bus is leaning against the pavement
With the weight of passengers. What is he thinking?
Perhaps, he is still feeling the morning heat of his wife
Or remembering Springtime in Kosovo.
I walk past the minutes rolling downhill towards Rathfarnham.
I resist the temptation to reach out and try to stop them.

Ron Carey's debut poetry collection, Distance, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection UK and Ireland. His latest collection is Racing Down the Sun (Revival Press)