Only the bus driver and I
are awake when the sun
first peeks over the horizon,
penetrating the fog like a dim lamp.
Quickly, most of the fog burns off,
the bits and pieces relegated to the valleys
across the landscape.
Highways crisscross,
although infrequently,
in this sparsely-populated area of Turkey.
The peacefulness of the countryside will,
I know, contrast significantly
with the noise and hustle and bustle of Istanbul.
Though it is still early,
the sun has stirred several other passengers.
From the back of the bus,
I see arms stretching and heads turning
to look out the windows.
Cell phones appear like magic
in a dozen hands, the collective glow
competing with the rising sun.
Fields of wind turbines are
silhouetted across the horizon,
the slow-turning blades
against a background of delicate
and wispy clouds
providing a feeling of calm.
As we pass a few isolated farmhouses,
I reflect in the joy of a new Turkish morning.
