Doesn’t matter how much dark red
wine you drink, the clock always

ticks westward to the setting sun,
the city lights flickering on when

lips are dry and winter recesses
so blackbirds can meander across

the morning’s bluegray sky then
perch along powerlines to watch

as you walk to your car this warm
January morning, beads for eyes

everywhere

(originally published in The Academy of the Heart and Mind, Fall 2020)