Morning Quartet

Before Dawn
The silence of your absence
grows louder each day
The process of aging relentless
The pain of loss and the vagaries of being
Leave me wondering why

---

First Light
Without rhyme or reason,
I rise with creaks and groans,
and ponder the evil intent
of the author of the NY Times puzzle du jour,
before sitting down to write,
my life and times

---

Daylight
The blank page before me fades,
and all I see are memories,
my lips form an upturned crescent moon,
and chuckles form deep in my throat,
and I carefully place the images—
some fact, some wished for—upon the page.

---

Awakening
I set my throne, two yoga blocks,
upon the floor,
and turn on the magic slab

to join the meditation class
that quiets minds
and lets the soul’s voice rise above the fray.

And in this way,
I start my day.