Greeting the Day
By John Herlihy

I bid welcome to the arrival of the newborn day,
May it bring light and promise during its brief stay.

The heartbeat of time strikes every minute and hour;
The darkness now banished with its face most dour.

The first thing I do when I raise my head;
I pray to the Lord my sensibilities to wed.

May good sense keep me on track all day;
I have nothing else further on the matter to say.

Except, yes, the morning no longer needs the stars;
They have disappeared with darkness behind the planet Mars.

The sun shines abundant light upon everything in sight;
The moon scampers away like a thief with its stolen light.

The earth turns on its axis giving regularity to the days;
The shadows move in unison in response to the sun’s rays.

The day feels empty until the ladybug appeared;
The silence feels empty until it makes itself heard.

My emotions feel hollow until they produce real tears;
My routine proceeds on course as I face my fears.

The day has a promise that it intends to keep,
Before it slips back over the horizon and goes to sleep.