first day of retirement

unable to sleep past six o'clock
in the morning,
you reluctantly get up
to start your day.
you get the paper
off the porch, make coffee.
stare at the dog,
who stares back. you let him
out into the yard
to do his thing.
he barks for awhile,
then you let him back in.
you turn
the radio on, log on
to your computer,
the tv, muted.
you throw a few eggs into
a pan.
some toast in the toaster.
you look out the window
and see your neighbor,
watering
her flowers. she waves
and smiles,
you wave. she's in her bathrobe
and slippers.
she reminds you of your mother
before she went into
a home.
it's pretty much the end
at this point.