Poem- Wake Up

I programmed the alarm
Six thirty am
And though I'm slow to go
I was never programmed to hit the snooze

Five thirty comes and I turn on the radio news
Listening to the stories
I'm grateful to have this day
Blessed to have the roof over my head
In so many different aspects of life

Sting had it right when he sang
About how fragile we are
How close we are to nightmare sometimes
But in denial place ourselves far

Gratitude means being thankful for our reality even when
The sun is days away from shining
Humility is showing respect for others
Whose paths we do not travel
Whose shoes we do not walk in
Whose troubles we do not know
Or may not even be able to  imagine

As I get older I am especially aware
How grateful I need to be for good health
And to never think that it will last forever
I've seen it taken away
Sometimes it's regained, sometimes lost forever