Relax.
The worst is all
ahead of you.

Stretch like pizza dough
to reach the edge
of the pan,

the new day
no longer new.
It’s dark by 4:00,

or at least, the sky
bruises with the hint
that it soon will be.

The sun can’t warm you
if you don’t wake up
in time. It has

other things to do, that
butterscotch hard candy
sharpening itself

on your tongue
because all you want
is to hold it there.