He is reading a book.
To live a long life, it says,
to live a healthy life, it says,
eat a balanced diet,
get some exercise,
get enough sleep,
avoid too much stress,
avoid too much caffeine,
avoid tobacco,
avoid excessive alcohol consumption,
keep a stoic attitude,
get a little sunshine each day.
He hunches over his desk to read the eviction notice,
drops his cigarette into his Styrofoam coffee cup,
tosses the cold pizza into the garbage,
pours some rye into a dirty glass,
contemplates it,
pours it down the drain.
No hair of the dog today.
He stumbles to the window,
throws open the curtains.
Sunshine.
Perhaps a morning walk.
It’s a start.
A reason to wake up in the morning.