MLK DAY

Woke this morning to what sounded like scratching on the window. Figured it was a squirrel, didn't want to open my eyes. When Fargo (the cat) leapt up, I groggily looked over to see what was going on. There was the cat, hunched on the nightstand, as though ready to pounce. Outside the window, appearing to look inside the house, was a woodpecker. Not sure what kind -- about the size of a pigeon, maybe slightly bigger, with a gold breast, black specks, and a patch of red on the back of its head that was, I swear, in the shape of a heart. I leaned over and peered at the bird, the cat peered at the bird, and the bird was oblivious due to, I assume, the sun reflecting off the window glass. We were about 8 inches apart, and just stayed that way for a minute or so. It was, perhaps, the best way to wake up in a long time, and made me feel, on this historic day that will segue into another historic day, that maybe all this talk about hope has some basis.