545 am

The dog's been barking and I wake up with a headache once again. It's too early to start the day, and my anxieties start to stretch. But I find some clarity: I should just do my work as if I was leaving it all behind.

All is quiet now. It starts to rain. It's as if the skies closed a curtain on the early morning light and all we get is a blanket of not-quite morning. The day hasn't arrived yet. Worry later. Work later. This hour is just for me.