It’s Poetry Friday and almost time to welcome spring. Of course with spring comes Daylight Saving Time. I enjoy the light lingering longer in the evening, but it’s still dark when I wake, at least for a few more weeks.
I was thinking of the time change this week as I reread some poems in The Wonder of Small Things: Poems of Peace and Renewal edited by James Crews, looking for a line or image that might spark an idea. In “Listen Back” by Brooke McNamara I found the lines:
“How many mornings have I woken like this, early
and called to listen
at the window of the unknown?”
Then, very serendipitously, Margaret Simon posted a photo of sunrise through fog by Marshall Ramsey in This Photo Wants To Be a Poem.
Margaret also included this quote from Antoine de Saint-Exupery:
“For behind all seen things lies something vaster; everything is but a path, a portal, or a window opening on something more than itself.”
All of those things gave me the inspiration for today’s poem.
Early Morning
I’m called to the dark
beyond the window
called to witness
the gradual unfurling of morning
only when the highest branches of the maples are visible
will the wren announce the sun
and the sky will lighten, slowly
as if a blanket were being pulled from its eyes
what does the day hold?
the answer lies in the light within
Draft, 2024RoseCappelli
Tanita has the roundup today at {fiction, instead of lies} Be sure to stop by for lots of poetry goodness.
Imagine the Possibilities 
This poem feels so calm and peaceful and contemplative. That last line touched me “the answer lies in the light within”. I believe we each have this light, this potential for goodness.
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Thank you, Margaret – for the comment as well as the inspiration.
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Rose, This is BEAUTIFUL. I especially love “unfurling of morning” – an invitation to slow listening. Serendipity, the universe calling — or perhaps the spirit at work within you.
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Thanks, Patricia. Hope you are continuing to heal.
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A wonderful poem to wake up to, Rose. I’m with Patricia, “the gradual unfurling of morning” struck me. Beautiful. 🙂
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Thanks, Bridget!
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Love this- the window, the light within. Such a beautiful and powerful poem!
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This is beautiful– thank you for sharing both your words and their inspiration!
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“…called to listen
at the window of the unknown.” Oh, my GOODNESS, how beautiful. And how beautifully you use this, drifting lightly from “the gradual unfurling of morning,” all the way to “the answer lies in the light within.” This poem reads like the most serene wake-up call, inviting us to discover a depth and a quality of life lived in serenity.
Truly lovely, thank you for sharing this.
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Rose, you are did have a double prompt that morning, didn’t you? I can see the fog gradually lifting with this line: “and the sky will lighten, slowly” and that “gradual unfurling of the morning” is rich! Enjoy the longer days! Soon you’ll be getting up after the sunrise.
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I love hearing your path to this lovely poem, Rose. It feels as if it was all meant to be with a little serendipity added. The image of “as if a blanket were being pulled from its eyes” is marvelous. Hope DST continues to ‘lighten’ your mornings!
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I like how our thoughts/poems this week about what’s seen and unseen fit together. Yours are way deeper and more elegantly described, but both of us have tapped into the joy and fulfillment of paying close attention to the world around us.
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Thanks, Mary Lee. Seeing your response here reminded me that I recently dreamt that I saw you in some random place and instantly recognized you. ???
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What a hoot! Here’s hoping that we meet IN REAL LIFE someday!
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Rose: I love that photo also. Like your poem, it has a magical/mystical side to it. I also love the “window of the unknown.” Seems many windows lead to that end! Thank you for this thoughtful and beautiful post.
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I love thinking about the wren announcing the sun!
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Oooooh, so many gorgeous images, Rose. I extra love the last two lines, where the power beautifully shifts from the day to the person pondering!
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Beautiful images: being called to the dark, the gradual unfurling of morning, the blanket being slowly pulled back. Love this, Rose!
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Rose, I missed this post and poem that is so lovely. I love the photo and your thoughts are so serene and calm that I am taken away.
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Thanks, Carol.
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