First Light

By Carol Ann Wilburn

In the night—crashes,
harsh streaks of light.
So violent a thrashing
that time cannot
be measured.
Even clocks stop.
Trees hang heavy,
drip vestiges of wetness,
no footprint
on lamp-lit pavement.

The last darkness gives way
to a pale and cool first light,
the greens and blues,
reds and yellows
all about to awaken.

The air washed clean,
birds try out their voices
from the tops
of their tree perches.
An unsteady chorus
gathers itself up
as each flock
rises to praise.

The brilliance!
That oh so brief
and delicate spark
of time when
darkness turns to light
and silence to sound
that wrestles in
another day.

Carol Ann Wilburn has been writing poetry since childhood but only recently began compiling her first chapbook. To jumpstart her dream to be a published writer, she submitted poems to While You Wait. After a long career in theatre management, she served on the boards of the Granada Theatre and Ensemble Theatre Company, affirming her belief in the power of the arts to inspire people’s lives. Also by this poet: "Doc, My Garden Mentor"