at 5:30am the sound of a marching band tears me out of my sleep. staring at the ceiling i wonder if in fact i am still dreaming, what would a marching band be doing wandering the maze of alley ways at 5:30 in the morning on a saturday. for fifteen minutes i hear horns and drums moving closer and then further away, before the sound fades for good and i can get an hour more sleep. as im getting ready for work the band starts up again and as im leaving they pass my house and i get a chance to see what was going on. a ten member band plays at the back of a funeral precession that stretches half a block. on my ride into work i pass them on the street, taking an entire lane the precession marches slowly toward the cemetery dressed in traditional garb, carrying the ornately decorated casket with the band keeping step.