Dawn

 As one long, deeply sleeping

    feels the soft touch of sunrise:

        undefinable moment of cell-shivering expectation,

            almost unconscious breeze of movement,

                softest of light silently displacing a fraction of darkness,

                    first bird note,

                        awareness lightly stirring,

                        more light, more bird notes,

                    light overcoming darkness, symphony of bird song,

                color's silent eruption across the sky,

            beauty surrounding and flowing through the sleeper,

        hope and gladness open their eyes,

    one moment of blissful, ethereal peace.

A summons to hope, to work, to pray, to trust, to love, to live.