early

the world is a pretty amazing place at 5:30am

its such a contradiction –  quiet, noisy, still, busy, empty, crowded, dark, light all at the same time.

quiet – the house is stony silent when I get up and I can hear my own breathing, the creak of the doors and the noise of the microwave beeping the end of the porridge making cycle seems like an air raid siren

noisy – a bit more awake now and I can hear the roar of the main road just behind the house – people are awake in their hundreds.  The bin men come clattering into the street.  Its really loud outside

still – the sprinklers go off and looking out of the window – the garden is cloaked in a velvet-like eerie still darkness.

busy – I can hear the road noise more now and, even before 6am, neighbours are starting their cars and leaving.  I can hear footsteps in the drive at the back

empty – but the house is still utterly silent and empty inside, even the dog is still sleeping peacefully somewhere

crowded – the roads when I leave are busy and the train is totally packed well before 7am

dark – its stlll very dark out, dawn is a good way away yet

light – headlights, fluroescent lights, train lights thrust a mechanical artifical dawn onto the world

then the sun comes up