Nature

I Believe in the Morning

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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!)

Why Do Some Endure?

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I wrote this poem recently after a quiet walk along a forest road. Although I didn’t realize this when I first started carving out the lines, it occurred to me later that the questions I ask in the poem are ones that I entertain internally every now and again in various contexts. They are, I believe, questions many people ask at critical points in their life.

Then The Spring

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For followers of Jesus like myself, tomorrow is the most important day on our religious calendar. The ideas of resurrection and rebirth are central to Christianity. Not all who will read this post are Christians, nor is this specifically an Easter poem. That fact notwithstanding, I think all of us can appreciate the ideas of new beginnings and new life that echo all around us during the springtime. The older I get, the more I find myself longing for that time each year when winter dies and the land "remembers what it can be." I wrote this poem in an attempt to capture my spirit of anticipation about spring's approach and my relief at its arrival.

For those who believe in and celebrate the resurrection of Jesus this weekend, I also wanted the poem to have an undertone of Biblical allusion--death replaced by life, coldness replaced by kindness, captivity replaced by freedom.

Anyway, I hope you enjoy it. Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

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