One Thousand Mornings

Day one, too shaky to write
One thousand mornings — watch me now

I marked the first one on a calendar
Hand shook when I wrote the date
One X became a column —
Each cross a small gate
The clock above the kitchen door
Kept dragging through those nights
I brewed coffee for something
To keep in both hands right

They said "one day at a time"
I said "then give me one more day"

One thousand mornings (one by one)
Every sunrise getting done
Coffee steady in both hands —
The dark got counted, one by one

One thousand mornings! (one by one)
Every sunrise done! (sunrise done)
One thousand mornings —
A thousand to one

A chip worn smooth in my pocket
My thumb knows every nick and seam
My daughter calls it my lucky coin —
She doesn’t know what it means
Breakfast is our standing meeting
Pancakes every Sunday at eight
I used to sleep through every morning —
Now I’m first through the gate

I drove past the old bar Tuesday
Didn’t brake, didn’t lean
Just glanced in the mirror out of habit —
The man in it looked like me

One thousand mornings (one by one)
Every sunrise getting done
Coffee steady in both hands —
The dark got counted, one by one
(A thousand to one!)

Day one thousand and one
Same coffee, hands steady