For about 3 months, I’ve had the inclination to write a poem that begins with, “There’s magic in the morning.” This line has been buzzing around my head because I’ve come to appreciate over the last 10 months how special the early morning hours can be.
I’ve never been one to struggle with getting up in the mornings, but I’ve also never really relished the process either. For most of my life I’ve been a habitual snooze-button-hitter. Until last October, it was not unusual for me to hit the button 3 or 4 times and buy myself an extra half-hour of sleep. Additionally, I would calculate what the absolute latest time was at which I could get up and still be on time for work.
Then, last fall, my wife suggested that we try adding two things to our morning routine: 1) Getting up around 5am, and 2) No more snooze button. Though I was skeptical of both at first, we’ve since come to realize that having a couple of hours in the morning to think, pray, exercise, and chat is a wonderfully calm and alluring way to begin your day. We both look forward to getting up and enjoying the “hopeful hush” that morning brings with it.
Though I had that first line in mind for a while, it wasn’t until this week (on vacation of all places!) that I finally carved out the rest of the poem. We are at a beach house in Rhode Island for a week, and I’ve been allowing myself to sleep in till at least 7 o’clock most mornings. Yesterday, however, my youngest son unintentionally woke me up shortly after 4. Try as I might, I couldn’t get back to sleep. Instead, I decided to walk a block and a half over to the beach and watch the sunrise. I was very glad I did. The entire experience was rewarding, and this poem was born as a result! I especially like the imagery of mornings having something special to share with those who are willing to get up and seek it. I believe this is true, and I’m glad to be in on the secret!
(On a side note, I took a series of panoramic pictures as the sun came up, and I’ve included one of these as the background for the poem!)