I am feeling too good to report to work today

We're getting back into that time of year when the sun and I seem to be on the same schedule--waking up in the morning, the tree outside my window is bathed in that first sunlight,  the peak of the mountains, the neighbor's laundry all take on a softness. and the sun rises directly in line with our kitchen window--yes, I know in a few weeks it'll have shifted away, but there's something oddly beautiful about it, something surprising every time I wake up and there it is. Granted, we've also had our fair share of grey, cloudy, wintery (but not cold) days, so waking up to a beautiful day (and now I can say it in Albanian, sot është me diell--thanks Suzana for the language lessons yesterday!), well it's just glorious.

And all I can hear, repeating over and over and over again in my head is the poet Pedro Pietri's voice saying "I am feeling too good (rising tone) to report to work today!" a quote from his poem, Telephone Booth Number 905 1/2 (please watch the Poetry Foundation's video of him reciting it, right here right now right below), a poem I first encountered in seventh grade. And somehow, his voice has stayed with me since then (so yea middleschool teachers, be careful what you teach your seventh-graders, they might actually remember it).
And here he is, the man himself, 

 

 and today is one of those days--the mountains are out (on both sides) and I could spend all day watching the way the light changes on the mountainsides (and yes, Mike, you are right. there is red in everything. especially these leaf-less tress outside my windows).

But perhaps I'm not as hard core as Rev. Pedro--because here I am, at work. drinking tea with Suzana, and waiting for professors to return their books. and watching the light change on the mountainside.