Sweeping the sleep away
Like mittens brush snowflakes
From windows and coffee
Snaps minds open like
Oopsied fabric shades the
Lazy morning starts startled
Cold water like cymbals
Crash onto warm skin
Causing nasty naked jumps
Before hot slowly follows
Petulant children in tow
These are the first
Fifteen minutes of today
And like a piano
Solo melody the high
Notes seem to tease
The lumbering lows that
Like children at recess
Whistles of the highs
Like completely boiled kettles
Scream as thumpity gurgle
Of percolating coffee lulls
The s-s-s-izzling of bacon
And the shish-shish scraping
Of buttered knife edges
Back country snow skis
Slowly open your eyes
Like one lazy wink
Of Pandora the cat
And this is morning
In our little home
Tonight I won’t sleep
Until the moon does
The white fat man
That gobbles up stars
And once fully filled
Lays beneath West’s horizon
As his sister sun
Glows giddy for dawn
Wearing her yellow dress
And here especially here
My favorite season entered
Quietly and without fanfare
Like a lover climbing
Clandestinely into my bed
And snuggling up close
Landing whispering kisses onto
Drowsy lips with promises
Of magnificent things to
Come Happy Autumn all
And in that moment
That very first moment
Upon rising from sleep
I am suddenly aware
That it is true
You are really here
Whether near or far
Whether outside or in
You are there prompting
Me to be better
Then than ever before
HARLAN DIDRICKSON 