Chasing the sunrise
Portland to Denver
connecting to Branson, Missouri
on an airbus A319
the coffee on the first leg of the flight
is bitter and strong but not enough of either
to make the two hours’ sleep from last night seem like enough
Denver is one long room
no decent caffeine options
in a three-quarter mile stretch of terminal
press my back against the wall next to the gate
look up towards the ceiling to see the morning sun
creeping into the higher windows
Birds flutter in the rafters and I blink
to be certain I’m not dreaming them
eyes tired, sore in a way that feels like a bruise
never can sleep on planes or in terminals
I am unquestionably awake and so are the birds
Mysterious little sparrows land two feet from my outstretched legs
trilling and hopping and cocking their heads as if
I am the interloper
finding me curious and out of place
in their oversized, aluminum nest
Gayle Francis Moffet writes prose, poetry, and comics. Her poetry has previously appeared in Decades Review, The Rusty Nail, and See Spot Run; her prose has been published in The Battered Suitcase, Milk Sugar Literature, and Liquid Imagination, amongst others. She lives in Portland, OR, keeps a news blog at gaylefmoffet.com, and her 5-page comic “April 16th, 6:44a.m.” will soon appear at thecommitteebuilding.com.