Insomnia Again

What's your favorite time of day? Is it 3 or 4 pm? Do you prefer dawn or mid morning; do you like the afternoon or midnight? Is it those few early hours of the morning--1 or 2--when the world around you sleeps, or is it when it's just getting up--5, 6, 7, or 8 am?

My favorite part of the day--at least in summer--is from 7 to around 8. This is the hour or so right before sunset. I suppose this would be considered a twilight hour, but I'm not tempted to use that word on account of it's popular association with sickly and sweaty heart-throbs, although--confession--I have read all four books. I still prefer Harry Potter.

This special hour is really the day's afterglow; it's the period when the sun is dipping below the horizon, but night hasn't yet fallen over the sky. It's the time when work is over and it feels like the earth is getting ready to rest with you.

Reasons why dusk is my favorite time of day:
1.) It's cool during this time of day; actually, it's usually cool. There are always exceptions. But normally the air starts to cool down at this time, just enough so you can wear a t-shirt and a light jacket comfortably. This environment is perfect for quiet meditation or enjoyment of nature, which leads me to my second point.

2.) The busy-body noise of the daytime work begins to quiet down, as every living being who had spent it's energy during the day is preparing itself for rest. Take a deep breath of cool air as you examine the streaking clouds and setting sun above you--I can think of few greater pleasures.

3.) Okay, this one's a bit lame compared to the others, but the reduction of traffic is enough for me to enjoy this time of day, though I'm sure many frustrated drivers out there would place this one at number one. Haha. I live in a heavily-trafficked area, having to constantly bear fleets of cars surrounding me. It's nice to drive without other people around me. Maybe this is the recluse, loner side of me talking--which is most of me--but there's a lot less stress on me when I'm the only car on the road.

That's it for now. If I think of more I'll be sure to mention them later. Then again, probably not. Haha.

Also, here's an awesome song. I dance when I hear it. Please forgive then ignore the brief nakedness of men in underwear.

Tijuana Panthers -- 'Creature'

Starry Hills

It's Thursday; tomorrow's Friday--
the day for trash pick-up;
ordinary Friday,
picking it's way along the decaying rows of days.

I don't need a jacket
to walk to my cold car.
She turns her engine with a growl,
and asks for a little more rest.

Street lights like blurred memories,
headlights behind me like empty phantoms,
everything driving by, silent
as a mute t.v.

Darkness, lovable darkness,
don't remind me you come once a day;
let's spend our solitary hours
together on the empty fluorescent road.

Aren't starry hills
most beautiful
when covered in darkness?

It's dark and I'm still awake,
like I've always been,
and always will be
like the way she never was.

I enjoy to drive at night,
when streets are clear
and my burdens soft.

The Ride

Our lives rush toward us
outside our windshields;
we can't wait for this time to pass.
Then, when we pass it,
we see life isn't more special up the road--
just more of the same.
We realize we make the ride special now.
But, it's too late,
because we see everything rush past
in our rear view mirrors,
as shadows of power lines run across the pavement,
resembling curved skid marks.

One shot written in a parking garage (edited from the original).

The new engine made a weird vacuum sound as Lee threw the car into fourth trying for neutral as we boogied down the highway at sixty-five. Lee mashed the brake pedal. The small Honda jerked forward, stalled, then died as our heads flew forward and cracked against the nearest hard object.

"Lee, what the fuck, man!" I said through stifling moans.
My head was swimming in blurred vision. I was afraid I had a concussion.
"What the fuck, man," I said again.
"We could've died!" Manuel added from the backseat.
"Don't be a pussy," Lee shot back. "You wouldn't have died."
"Why did you do that?" I groaned.
"What if there was another car behind us?"
"There's no one on the goddam road!" Lee rasped.
I don't know why, but this seemed like an odd thing to me to point out.

No people in their right minds would drive on the 10 at three a.m. for no goddam good reason like we were. But for a city of millions, it was surprising how lonesome things became at night, especially the streets. Thousands of miles of paved ghost towns criss-crossed each other in quiet, homesick silence. And as I thought about all this, my mind felt...slower, like I had just woken up after only four hours of sleep and life seemed more fantasy than reality.

"We still could've died, Lee."
"No, you wouldn't."
"Why did you do that?"
"I thought I saw a moren flying," Lee said, solemn.
"A moren?"
"Yeah, a goddam moren."
Manuel and I looked out the window in the starless sky and listened. The balmy air was stagnant. We saw and heard nothing.
"I don't see anything," I said.
"I though I saw one; I'm not sure if it was or not."
"Why would there be a moren here?"
"I don't know why. I just thought I saw one."
I turned back to Manuel.
"You okay?"
He nodded. "Yeah, just a little bruised from the seat belt."
I turned to Lee. His face was covered by his hands.
"You okay?"
He stayed silent. I didn't think he was crying, but there was something.
Finally, he said, "Yeah, I'm good. You?"
"Yeah," I said, though I was feeling like my whole body had been soaked in water for a few days. "I'm good."
"Good," Lee replied, looking forward.

Lee turned the car back on.
Manuel was looking sullen on the way back, flashing occasional glances out the window. Lee continued looking forward. We stayed silent all the way home.