At Daybreak – a Poetry Reading

First light frosting the tree line, and I close the door 
On the rest of the house and leave the need for sleep 
To others. At such an hour, with dark still lingering,
The stars blown apart and a waning moon near vanishing, 
I’ve become too well acquainted with the dark dialect 
Of slush and wallop from this stretch of shoreline, the 
Pensive coo of mourning doves, the distant slap and 
Rhythmic carry of a steam train and even the scuffling 
Of a lone, metal bucket listlessly pushed back and 
Forth across loose gravel by a counterfeit wind. 
The fragrance 
of wild privet permeates the path 
That dips with the contour of the earth and I, 
Too, quickly leap past the bittersweet fragrance, 
Awaiting the weightless lifting of my feet from 
Luminous clay and the climbing out of my body, 
But this day provides for a hapless harvest and 
Amplifies the emptiness, shrinking to something 
Less than healing. Returning home to houses
Huddled around the harbor, I can feel the earth’s 
Leaning towards another season as I take in the 
The clattering of plates, the metallic rasp of silver-
Ware being gathered up or placed down and the 
Pungency of coffee with threads of cinnamon – 
The simpler luxuries of everyday life that can 
Somehow make the heart whole again if only 
These much-mended eyes could learn to listen.

For more poetry like “At Daybreak,” check the MockingOwl Roost poetry corner.

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John Muro

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A resident of Connecticut and a lover of all things chocolate, John Muro has authored two volumes of poems - In the Lilac Hour and Pastoral Suite - in 2020 and 2022, respectively. He is a three-time nominee for the Pushcart Prize, a nominee for the Best of the Net Award and, more recently, he received a 2023 Grantchester Award. John's work has appeared in numerous literary journals and anthologies, including Acumen, Barnstorm, Delmarva, Moria, River Heron, Sky Island and the Valparaiso Review.

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