The poem reads like a set of instructions the speaker is giving, possibly to themselves. Red is something dangerous, and the advice is to avoid it: don't stare at it, don't look past it, and focus on something small and ordinary like the tiles. The poem never says what red stands for. It could be anger, alarm, a warning light, or a feeling that is hard to face. The title, with its "warning" and "morning," suggests this is a daily struggle, something that greets the speaker as soon as the day begins.
The tone is flat and controlled, almost like a parent's or a doctor's. Short lines and the rhyme of "instead" and "bed" make the advice sound simple, even though the problem seems heavy. The final line, "Know your limits, go to bed," is quietly sad: the answer to the danger is to retreat. The mood is tense but muted, a person holding themselves together by counting.