SATURDAY MORNING DAWN     (9-21-01; my 4th Spirit of the Pines Retreat, Lake Livingston, Texas)

serene dawn
quietly awakens
as soft  fuzzy  
peach light
gently lifts
the lingering veil
of nights diminishing
darkness  
into pale  blue
newness  away
above the
graceful silhouette
of pine topped
rolling hills  beyond
the eastern shore
across this
sleeping lake
looking up  tall  
pines and oaks
seem to soar
above me
backlit against
this cool  
fall  morning sky
the expansive
lake itself
a fluid mirror
of silver peace
reflects the light
of rising sun
so beautiful even
before it comes
its soft  peach
light soon brightens
to gradually
ripen into
a lusher  waking  
morning sky
of burning  
mango orange
as a great
white heron
stands motionless
before me  
down along this
tranquil lakes
shallow  
dreaming shore  
in elegant
zen like silence
upon one leg
atop a fallen
tree branch  
extending
vertically up
out of the
peaceful water
directly above
his mirrored
regal reflections
visual echo below
between he
and i
along this shore  
through a foreground
stand of reeds
parallel lines
of small  
glassy ripples
miniature waves
in effortless silence  
roll subtly in
appearing to
have arisen
up from out
of utter stillness  
as no boats
bow has plied
this peaceful lakes
virgin calm
nor crossed
her lovely face
this early morn
so far  except
for loving wake
and golden bow
of rising suns
sweet  burning orb
as it escapes
the eastern
tree line
in lateral rays
of blinding light
that pierce
and bathe
everything here
in this stillness
around me
with its long  
radiant  
diaphanously
illumined blades
now slicing through
the slumbering
tree tops
leaves and boughs
with what
remains of nights
increasingly
dwindling darkness  
still passively
clinging on
in broken  
gray mosaics
of quickly
fading shadows
upon the forest
floor behind me
down below  
which even
now recedes
as every cool  
still  hidden place  
is slowly consumed
by this new
light of day
and lovingly
buttered in
its living
golden touch
as natures
true colors
begin to emerge
to take
vibrant flight
through all my
excited senses  
right into
my open souls
own blissfully
awakened elation  
so joyously reborn
to day and life
and all within
this sacred
oneness  seen
and felt here
once again
released at last              
to such clear
sweet  profound
relief of
finding myself
and my true
place of
deeper meaning
in the dizzying
craziness of
this lost world