watch

Here, tall gray and black buildings line the streets. Here, hundreds of people walk on the sidewalks, rushing from place to place, looking at some type of screen. They are probaly going to work. Or maybe they are off to school.

The road is filled with cars. Some yellow or black. Maybe white or silver. Maybe red. Sometimes they will be zooming past, too fast to cross, but still not exactly speeding. And sometimes they might be moving slowly creeping along the streets, slower than all the people walk.

The sky is filled with thick dark rain clouds. Maybe some days it's sunny. Not most days. Maybe it will rain like it usually does. The puddles of water are still there from times before. People always stomp in them, rippling the surface.

Sometimes there might be a bird, or maybe a squirrel. Never on the sidewalks. Maybe at the park. For the patient people. Maybe.

The sun has not risen yet, but even if it did, it would still be hidden behind the clouds. The sun barely shows anymore. People are glad when it does. It's always cold here, so the sun is always a blessing.

The large clock bongs from somewhere, telling all that it is that it is only five a.m. Nobody really ever hears the clock. Everyone is busy and not listening at all. Especially at five a.m.

Who would possibly be awake at five a.m?

But people are awake. But who?

The joggers, who are people trying to keep themselves fit and strong, could possibly be awake. They run where they can. The park. Maybe the dirt path through the woods. Possibly the empty gray sidewalk. Maybe they will run by the lake and see the all of the fishermen getting ready.

The fishermen also must wake up early. They go to their boats, and start to be able to sail through the dark, murky water. They prepare the bait and their fishing poles, to be ready to catch the fish. It is best to catch fish early in the morning.

They don't catch many of them. Most of them are gone. The smart fish had left before it was too late. The water is becoming more polluted. Reflections no longer show. Trash floats through it. It's not a good living enviorment for the fish.

If, somehow, they do catch fish, then they will attempt to sell it. They will wait until more people are awake before they will try. They may wait at the park, or at a store.

On their way, they may see the lamplighters.

They might wave, or maybe talk for a while. About their jobs. Or their families. Maybe about some big event.

But the lamplighters can not talk long. They must complete their job.

Most places do not have lamplighters any longer. This place, however, does. They must wake up early every morning, and late every evening, to make sure that the lights are on or out. The lamps light the way for the joggers, fishermen, and delivery people.

The people with big white trucks full of boxes, probaly have to wake up early.

The trucks must be ready to go on time. The boxes need to be packed, and put inside. They will drive through the vacant streets to take the boxes to stores or restarunts.

Store managers or maybe employees also might be up early. Who else will make surethat the food will be ready for the day? Bakers have to make the food early so they can make money.

Some days they don't get much buisness. And somedays all it takes is one child begging their parents to let them get a treat.

Some kids might be awake. They might wake up from a nightmare. Maybe their parents will halp them. Maybe they never went to sleep. Possibly fear of having nightmares. Or they just woke up early. Maybe to make breakfast. Maybe for school. Maybe just to surf the internet.

When all of the people are up, and people are rushing everywhere, looking at their phones, nobody ever notices me.

I am up early every day. I am up late every night. I watch, with nobody taking a second glance at me.

I do not live in a house, or an apartment. My home is just a dark alleyway. I sleep on a cold wooden bench. I don't have much, just some old clothes and a blanket. I'm a very light sleeper, so sometimes I will wake up at any little noise. Because of this, I am almost always awake. That is when I start to notice things.

I notice the dark stormy sky. I notice the puddles. I notice the occasional animal. I notice the bong of the clock. I notice the joggers in the park. I notice all the fishermen at the lake. I notice the missing fish. I notice the lamplighters doing their job. I notice the delivery people driving their big white trucks. I notice people preparing their buisnesses for the day. I notice all these people up at five am.

I notice these things. No one else does, but I do. It's not important enough for them to worry about.

It is kind of just like how nobody sees me. Nobody ever notices a nobody. Except sometimes. Some are the exception to that. Sometimes some people will stop looking at a screen, or stop trying to get money. Sometimes some people stop, and talk to me. It's rare, but it does happen.

They might give me money. Maybe food. Occasionally clothes.

Are you that person? Could you be? Did you know that just talking to somebody can make their day?

Maybe stop to notice things. Like the flowers at the park. Maybe what someone is wearing. Or trash on the sidewalk. Maybe people who need to talk.

Or don't.

Don't care about the earth. Don't care about other people. Don't care about anything but yourself. Doesn't make a difference to me.

Or does it make the biggest difference of all?