- Each Day A Rising Sun (Sestina) Poem by Ben Gieske

Ev’ry morning we glory to see the sun
breakfast the day with its yolk of golden ways
when birds are happiest to sing their songs.
What is new is sure to get our welcome
after we have dreamed nightmares of darkness.
With hope we long for only what’s to come.

When cooler days are never soon to come
we wipe the beads of sweat and sun:
a consequence from earlier days of darkness
straying away from some established ways.
Any signs and words of forgiveness are welcome
which give us reason to sing our prayerful songs.

But I know some who sing such woeful songs,
who for them no happy days will come,
where there’s nothing new for them to welcome.
They say, there’s nothing new under the sun.;
but ev’ry day we welcome to feel new ways
to deliver us from the plight of darkness.

Who’s to know all the kinds of darkness?
We only need to hear those singing songs
to know some live like robots not holding ways
that offer them hope of better days to come.
Their life is merely the revolving of a repeating sun;
too many yesterdays no longer welcome.

What in others can we truly welcome?
Do we expect just the good and not the darkness,
expecting all the shadows to flee the sun?
What of those who sing no joyful songs?
Will we willingly bring them aid and come?
There may be reasons to change our daily ways.

When we stray from straight and narrow ways,
who will be there to support a needful welcome?
Some of those I know will no longer come.
With ev’ry passing day there lingers some darkness.
Not ev’ry day will bring only joyful songs
and even some days the sky clouds the sun.

We’ll welcome each other with hopeful, prayerful songs,
hoping to find the ways that free us from darkness
and each new day will begin with a rising sun.

- Sept.7,2009

This poem was published online by Sketchbook, Sept./Oct,2009