The Alarm Clock on the Left of the Bed

​The alarm clock on the left of the bed,
The list of things to do on the right,
The organizer, the old-fashioned watch
That goes tick-tick. If a Hittite

Were to leap up from behind your desk
And rouse you from your torpor, smile
Indulgently, “Thanks good fellow.”
The bottle rolling in the aisle,

The yawp of cars, the irritation
At the worker with the squishy
Laugh. And look the river takes in
Everything. Anguish, wee-

Ping, bring them in and open up
The windows, flood the room with sun,
Until your strength will last longer than death
And your faith will outlive oblivion.