Saturday, December 13, 2014

Just Before Dawn



The dawn is peeping a red and ribald eye
over the mountain.
No one is awake.
The morning birds will not yet sing.
The sleepy valley is still nestled
in the arms of night.

But out in the meadow,
in the mist rising up from the icy fields,
a young doe is dancing lightly
on her tiny hooves.
An elven chorus, murmurous,
is chanting in the veld,
and the skybirds awaken, 
all a-flutter.
In a feathered heap,
they tumble out of the trees.

To witness this magic,
you must arise
just before dawn,
and disguise yourself
as a shrub.


My attempt to write a poem somewhat in the style of James Wright's poem, Beginning, for Grace's prompt at Real Toads.

13 comments:

  1. Sometimes there are does passing by our bedroom window in the morning.. What a lovely idea though... The dawn is so late at the moment...

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  2. just before dawn,
    and disguise yourself
    as a shrub

    Very interesting Sherry! Wow a lot of the childhood magic being shared here. Most disguises I knew of relate to bird sounds to indicate presence of one of its kind. Wonderful take!

    Hank

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  3. this is precisely why I love to get up before the sun....love 'The sleepy valley is still nestled
    in the arms of night.' Beautiful descriptive words of this one moment just before dawn.

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  4. I love how you made James Wright poem, a Winter Daybreak, your personal journal, just before dawn ~ I specially admire that second stanza, the awakening and chorus from nature ~

    Thanks for participating with Sunday's Challenge Sherry ~ Happy weekend dear ~

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  5. in order to capture it's pure dawn one must ...disquise yourself as a shrub.

    lovely touch to your perpetuating theme of being one with the creation of God's hand

    you give light to the dark

    gracias mi amiga

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  6. Beautiful indeed. Love the feathered heap. I shall rise early and disguise myself as a shrub.
    Kind regards, Anna :o]

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  7. Yes...absolutely and how I would love to be a fly on the wall so to speak or some other small creature - just to experience Nature's true awakening one morning...beautifully rich imagery, Sherry. ♥

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  8. This is beautiful, visual. I have turned into such a night owl I rarely see the first light of dawn. Thanks for sharing it with me.

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  9. Your powers of observation have come to the fore in this poem inspired by Wright's work.

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  10. This is so beautiful, Sherry. It makes me feel as if I am witnessing it as if I am that shrub.

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  11. I love that final stanza, Sherry - it made me smile as I get up so early every morning:
    'To witness this magic,
    you must arise
    just before dawn,
    and disguise yourself
    as a shrub.

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