4:30 am

Recently i had the occasion to be up at 4:30 am and it is a world of difference,and i will tell you about it.

i was unable to sleep and my dog was restless so i decided to take the little fellow out for a walk. At that time of the morning it is a different world than the one i am used to. While the city sleeps the few of us that are awake try to fiqure out what to do. At this time of of day it is hard to place where the world is. The night struggles to keep it's hold while the day fights to break out of the sky. While walking down Queen street it is an entirely different place, with the bars closed the streets are qiute and the few people i encounter are actually friendly, as they stop and say hello and pet my dog, not as ritual but as an actual way of their day. Past the fire station and all is well, no sirens and the men and woman are sleeping , not worring about the flames from some careluss smoker engulfing them, or some home fire taking a life they had no chance to save. The construction at the library is non existent at this time,the front loader sitting as still as a skunk being hunted by a coon dog in Alabama. Into the park we walk and the sounds of the children are a distant memory, the swings sit still and the slide seems erielly empty at this time. As i sit in the Gazebo i remember the times as a young adult when this was a place of sanctuary from the times, now it just seems a peacefull spot in the world where the stars shine and the moon fights for it's rightful place in the hemisphere.. furthure up the walk way the dog just ruruunawar of my location only knowing that at the end i am there for him. There is no honking of car horns no squeling of tires no jack hammer from the construction on the speed river bridge,no eninem, blaring from car speakers that are cranked way too loud, no crack addicts asking for money to buy coffee, no smells from the Kentuckey fried Chicken the Laundrymat at Ernies sits quite and the hordes are not in front of the Shortstop. No one sits out havin a smoke on the stoop and you can hear a car coming for 2 minuets at least. A skunk crosses the street unaware that he is in a urban enviroment, even the garbage does not smell that bad a t this time of day. As the walk continues the fact remains that as i get older so the day grows, it is no longer 430 but pushing 5 am and the grizzle of the day will soon begin and the hustle and bustle will be the dominant force, the morning will fight to keep it's glory while the afternoon sun will try to warm the crowds walking the streets, the birds will sing a different song than at night and the waters in the river flow louder than in the am. and as sit in the window typing this i say goodbye to the night and well met to the morning. the dog and i are off to bed to join the rest of the world in slumber...Peace and Love and Understanding.