morning on the third coast

there's a quietness at 9:00 am. the seagulls flying above a mainstreet 3 hours away from noise and calamity can still be heard. the sounds of traffic are uncommon, only the occasional diesel truck roaring by stirs any sort of commotion. the beach sits almost entirely empty, the crashing waves just another of several non-human sounds that can only be heard early like it is now. a coffee shop sits empty and unused currently, two employees hug before one walks off, after ordering you sit at a table with a breakfast sandwich and cappuccino and count your blessings for being unencumbered by customers, whose presence and watchful eyes would make you irritably and anxiously self-conscious about eating alone. outside, the occasional cyclist flies down the road and through intersections without needing to look or stop for cars or crossing pedestrians. the parking; filled and overflowing for blocks and blocks by the afternoon is spacious and copious right now. the sky seems even bluer before mufflers and cigarettes and trucks and motorcycles all fill the air with their exhaust. every few minutes things begin their ascent; there are a few more people, a few more cars, a few more shops opening. you could sit and watch forever here as a city wakes up to the warm summer air and sunlight and spotless sky, your only wish now is that you had someone's hand to hold as you did so. before you know it your two hour parking is up, and you have to move the car, detach yourself from the stillness, and leave, for a moment, observation and comfort behind.