October 17- Watching The Sunrise

What is the good of your stars and trees, your sunrise and the wind, if they do not enter into our daily lives? E. M. Forster

  There is a beach, five minutes from my home. If the sunrise calls to me I go, to witness. I sit on my car hood and wait. Our earth is rotating around this star made of energy light. Once a day we turn into this light which we call rising but it's more a going toward. We turn away during the night and re-turn at dawn. As I sit expectantly, I see light on the horizon. It accentuates the shadows and makes the deepest contrast. The darkness is darker,dark because of the light.

Then ever so slowly the fire orb appears. I can't look into the brightness. My eyes look more at the expanse of heaven and notice how the clouds receive light. Pockets of brightness peek out of the thinest layers. 

    Water seems to swallow the light, reflecting and embracing at the same time. My heart aches at the beauty. Surely I should want to re-turn to this light. Why would I ever choose darkness over shadow. But I do sometimes. If the sunrise teaches me anything it is to trust in the break of day. There has been a sunrise 22, 995 times during my life. I should trust something with such a track record. Most of the sunrises of my life have come without notice. I wish to be more mindful of those I have left. 

Sunrise

Mary Oliver

You can

die for it-

an idea, 

or the world. People 

have done so, 

brilliantly, 

letting

their small bodies be bound 

to the stake, 

creating

an unforgettable

fury of light. But 

this morning, 

climbing the familiar hills

in the familiar

fabric of dawn, I thought 

of China, 

and India

and Europe, and I thought

how the sun 

blazes

for everyone just

so joyfully

as it rises 

under the lashes

of my own eyes, and I thought

I am so many! 

What is my name? 

What is the name

of the deep breath I would take

over and over

for all of us? Call it 

whatever you want, it is

happiness, it is another one

of the ways to enter

fire. 

I am writing for 31 days this October about Island Life. Click here to see the other days of writing.

This month I am being more mindful of the moment. It is part of my year long exploration of mindfulness. You can read more about my Year of Mindfulness here.