THREE DAWN SONGS IN SUMMER

1.

The first long shadows in the fields

Are like mortal difficulty.

The first birdsong is not like that at all.

2.

The light in summer is very young and wholly unsupervised.

No one has made it sit down to breakfast.

It’s the first one up, the first one out.

3.

Because he has opened his eyes, he must be light

And she, sleeping beside him, must be the visible,

One ringlet of hair curled about her ear.

Into which he whispers, “Wake up!”

“Wake up!” he whispers.