By Audrey McHugh
Long Island Branch
Gather the children before the breaking dawn
transfigures the sweetness of their youth
and the lost laboring world, unsatisfied,
brings their beauty to its knees.
Gather the hands of generous giving
from open palms, forever
making a feast of hunger, never wanting
in those whose love is daily said in psalms.
Gather the echoes of frustrated voices
dimmed by the brassy world’s sound and fury,
forged in suffering, seeding their heart’s desire
in pastures plowed wide and deep in dreams.
Gather them all, the foreign, forsaken,
into an Arc flowing in milk and honey
launched on the Sea of Tranquility
lapping at the shores of every land,
Where once in life they stooped to conquer
Rising became their morning star.
A tender poem filled with gratitude and subtle warning.
Audrey you’ve gifted us a beautiful poem! Thank you and Happy New Year to you.
As a fellow poet, I wonder if you entertained cutting the last line (Rising became their morning star)and instead end the poem with – Where once in life they stooped to conquer.
Happy Writing!
What a hopeful and beautiful image is the Arc, flowing with milk and honey.
Thank you, Audrey, for sharing this exquisitely crafted poem.
Claire Massey
NLAPW Poetry Editor
Hi Claire, I sent you my address if you would like to exchange a few books each .
Happy New Year ! Audrey
Excellent
Thank you for this honor . Audrey, Happy New Year !
Become that star!
We could all make that our New Years resolution .Thank you Risa.
This is the best I’ve read in 2022: a wow of heart and simplicity and hope. Please send me (fiction and non fiction editor) some prose of yours, if you write prose too.
And tell us all where we can read more if your poetry. Thank you.
Such meaningful thoughts, that really connected. Thank you for your words!
Idyllic, this ode to love and giving and humanity and fortitude….and always hope!
So much of writing today is narcissistic, we should start the New Year on an upbeat note.
Thank you Carol.