Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary: Lauds

The glory of the first dawn.

 

Hours of the Blessed Virgin Mary

The night is far on its course; day draws near.

The Color of Early Dawn

1

 

Startled, as the alarm sings, the warm bed almost reclaims me

Half-done dreams almost tame me

Into staying asleep

My goal, after all, will keep

until another morning early

when I can capture the pearly

essence of first dawn.

In another life

I worked alone while others slept

Kept awake

I stood at the backdoor window and

watched the sky

and my tired eye

detected a slight change of color

on the horizon.

2

Not gray nor blue;

it is a nameless hue.

It made me thirsty for a drink I never tasted

 Something cool and strong and sweet

Something to be toasted when lovers meet.

A tiny drop of kir

into clean, bubbling water

and it awakes in me a yearning

my mind burning

to fix

to identify

and, most of all, to copy

this unearthly color of dawn.

I turned my head and it was gone.

3

The birds began singing

out of tune

The garbage truck willing

brakes shrieking

to cart away the load of shame

that builds up in this shabby old house.

Four helpless adults with childrens’ ways

family never stays

except to say goodbye.

Now here I am at my own bedroom window

not wanting to let go

 but a slight noise distracts me

and once again, now I know

I have misplaced the dawn.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reviews

[Mary]

waiting for that precioous instant of dawn- an instant so small it can't be measured and is gone before we are even aware of its arrival! A beautiful meditation, as finely written as the amazing illustrations of the book of hours itself. What impresses me As there are hours of the virgin Mary, I imagine she had her own moments of meditation, and that indescribable time of first dawn may well have been one of them. This poem has so much beauty and description, it's like an illustrated page from the book itself. "this unearthly color of dawn", and "to cart away the load of shame that builds up in this shabby old house," and finally "I have misplaced the dawn" are just a few of my favorites. Beautiful work.

[Pete]

there is a solemn respect to your words. you've certainly captured the mystique of when a new light is born. great wording and imagery. magical write that shines and reveals. thank you for this touching glimpse ... :)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

interesting piece....kid of like likening the first Dawn of Jesus---Mary waiting for him to come...
an enormous event...and really so is a normal dawn...and it can so easily be missed for various reasons...we need to stop and appreciate that which is around us---
be more vigilant ....it will get by us, or we will misplace it.

j.