My Mother's Gift
You visited me near dawn -
I saw you
and felt your joy
and heard your voice,
like a memory of waking to bird-song
on a warm, Ohio summer's morn -
you used to sing 'rise and shine! '
bringing me bleary-eyed, bounding
into my childhood's
glowing day.
And last night
I saw you again.
I love my dreams about you.
You sweep away
all fear
with your calm voice.
But always after,
when I wake up,
you are gone,
and I face another indifferent day
in this agnostic world.
But this time was different!
'You are glowing! ' I said
from the deep mist of my sleep,
'Why does your face shine?
Are you with him, with Dad?
Is that why you're so happy? '
You smiled (as at a naive child's prodding)
'Well, yes, of course he's here too...
but that's not it.
It is because He Is.'
And though I could not see
what you ceaselessly see,
I gazed upon the overwhelming,
reflected light
enfolding you,
and I tried,
oh I tried, to find its source
but could only feel
its sudden glory...
its unremitting,
[...] Read more
poem by Steven Federle
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