A Lincoln pulls around me,
swerves through heavy traffic,
is gone after a single bleat
of her horn; I pay no attention.

The highway’s full of cars,
some moving slowly, some
almost at a standstill; once
in a while one moves faster

than light speed, or so it seems.
I pay no attention. Sun comes in
and goes out, again and again.
The car crowd shifts, again and again.

I pay no attention until I get home
and think about everything I saw today —
fast cars, scudding clouds, my mother
lying slack in the hospital bed. Close my eyes:

pay all of my attention,
my all absorbing,
my sweet attention,
until I fall asleep.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
onward,
T