standard time

at 5:05
the sky looked as if
it had never seen daylight.
two hours ago
the sun had already set
on Wall Street
and for once
I could celebrate
my relative poverty.
as the train clamors
in the direction
of the long-forgotten dusk
some other poor soul
on the other side of the world
is sleeping through sunrise.


Paul David Mena
27 October, 1997
Cochituate, MA


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