Mother Nature draws a deep breath
Just before the sun peaks over the horizon
The cold air rushes in
Chasing the warmth away
And for those minutes, as she takes her breath
The quality of sound changes
The birds are silent
And then
A shaft of light
Strikes
If I close my sun warmed lids and breathe
The sunlight filters into my cranium
Filling my skull like the apse of a church is filled by the holy spirit of love
At a christening
The native Americans call this eating the sun
And so I breathe – eating light allowing it to smoulder throughout my being
Imagine it setting fire to the blood
Rushing throughout
Is this why the birds wait to sing?
For the light
It enters them
And it enters me
And then we all sing together
Mine is more of a hum
I’m not much of a singer
But the Magpie fills her chest and warbles with a clarity that should shatter glass
The Butcher Bird joins in
And I’m walking, listening, smiling, as the feathered folk hurl their anthem at the sky
A little hummmmm of a half remembered hymn upon my breath
For yes
Morning has indeed
Broken
I’m changing up my Instagram and adding more of my own photography when time allows. Find me here https://www.instagram.com/kate_duff_poetry/
LOVE those pictures, Kate. They are so lovely. My daughter has a photography business on t he side (she teaches band) and is talented like you. I’m so jealous of your focus. I just can’t regain mine yet. I just lost another friend from college a week ago (one of my best friends drowned last summer) and my best friend from high school is in ICU — cirrhosis alcohol issues. Major drama with all her family and all and hard to say if she’s going to quit–she won’t live long if not. Been so hard to work. My health problems are improving, but Dad, now these latest things. Still, I have felt a bit more focused last few days from reading Jordan Peterson! I’m over half way through it. It’s so funny. My son emailed me and asked me if I’d ever hard of Jordan Peterson. He’s a huge fan now. He was halfway through the book. i am worried Jordan is not doing too well. His wife has kidney cancer and he and his daughter have been largely absent from their usual endeavors. He apparently went on some anti-depressant when his wife got sick and got really sick on it and trying to get off it. Really bad year for them all.
Great to hear from you Lynn – I was beginning to get worried. Sounds like you have had very good reasons to lose focus. I’m sorry that sounds awful. Jordan Peterson – isn’t he great! So happy I spotted that quote on Lens blog and dug a little deeper. I’ve been enjoying JP’s take on things – so much sense! I passed his details along to a young poet in Melbourne that I was chatting to on Instagram so now he is reading him too. His ethos reassures me that despite insane pressure – freedom of speech will continue – at least for now. That’s terrible news about his family troubles.
I think Jordan Peterson has recovered from the anti-depressants. His wife is also on the mend from cancer. I believe he’s hibernating away finishing his next book. Probably behind on his publishing deadline because of illness.
The timeliest thing I could find from either of them was Mikhaila posting her opinion on the lockdowns. She was against them. She said the last year had been horrible, but didn’t give any other information about her folks. So I’m glad to hear things are better.
Oh good to hear Len, Thankyou!
Lovely poem and pics, mornings can be amazing 🙂 and love the mention of the magpie song, so distinctive and beautiful.
The Maggie is a lovely warble but the Butcher bird reminds me of The Last Post
I love how you’ve captured the experience, even though words can never fully convey it. Beautiful piece.
Pictures not words can convey it – like trying to take a photo of a full moon with a Nokia – we try, that’s all we can do
Nothing like heat and sunshine. The only cure for life. That is one of my favourite songs:
Morning has broken like the first morning
Blackbird has spoken like the first bird
Praise for the singing
Praise for the morning
Praise for them springing fresh from the Word
It’s a favourite of mine too Len. I wonder who wrote it.