In the silence, just before first light comes
Through the moving curtain, touched by early air,
I dream a waking dream.
I am a girl, young again, standing
Thigh deep in water, facing the sunrise.
A long shirt of thin white cloth,
Covers me loosely.
I close my eyes and know water as it is.
Fish nibble my toes and brush my legs.
Smiling, I say words in a strange language.
Sensing day break, through my eyelids,
I look out to the brightening trees
On the mountain, and the birds come.
The rosy sky is filled with layers of singing.
Surrounded by feathers, wings encircle me.
I feel the energy of flight in my body.
Turning, I walk, each footstep makes a path.
A few large stones call me to sit among them.
I feel the warmth of morning against my legs,
A gentle reminder of the heat to come.
First listening to whispers, then laughter,
The earth shares poems and tells stories
Without words, but her voice is clear.
I understand. I nod. I pray.
Blessings are given to an old woman who dreams.
