The Edge of Dawn: A Poem

Posted On February 1, 2021

I stand on the edge of the high, high cliff

Facing the crashing waves and waters below.

The water reaches for me,

 But it will not touch me,

For it is unable.

I look down at my feet and shudder

For the way down is so, so far.

And I am afraid.

I lift my face to the light above, 

Stretch out my hand and cry,

Only to discover that the light is not there.

I am cloaked in sadness

And my veil is torn.

I do not wish to be lost.

Oh night, I cry, why do you stand so far off?

At the edge of dawn I stand

The burning edge

Where light and night reach out their hands

To touch each other.

But they cannot reach

And the light is dim where I stand

On the edge of the high, high cliff.

The way down is so far.

And suddenly 

Like the fire in a blacksmith’s shop

A blaze of light erupts

From the bowels of the earth,

And it is so bright I shield my eyes

And I cannot see.

A pain fills me

But it is a filling sort of pain.

It hurts so bad

But I know it is good.

And when I am able

I open my eyes. 

The night has disappeared. 

A hazy light is fast approaching,

I can see it

So close

Yet so far. 

And I know that it is good,

Better even than dusk.

The dawn is a blaze of light,

A blaze of hope on the horizon.

I can see it.

Photo by Michael D Beckwith on Unsplash.