morning in nahant

I probably wrote this during fall or winter 2000-2001. Nahant is a historical town on Boston's North Shore. Long ago I spent a summer working there as an au pair and on this September evening I'm posting this "Image" on this blog, both for lack of anything else and because I want to revisit and revise some of my old stuff soon. However, this is the original version, and it looks as if I mention the city a whole lot!

IMAGES :: Morning in Nahant

Still I feel it!
Eight A.M., a Nahant summer morn
looking out at the beach
f rom the porch
Cool air, I'm wrapped in a sweater
Fog has settled over the beach
sand and water
sky and rocks but
It'll clear
Today the sun will sparkle down
On a world of expectation!
Later my sweater'll come off
instead into tank top and shorts
then onto the beach
This world's away from the city
I'll be back in the city, but not today
Tomorrow morning once more
I'll look out at the beach
from the porch

© Leah Chang

Totem

By Tucson poet Richard Shelton,this is one of my all-time favorites.

TOTEM

stars you inquisitive
animals
shall I tell you the same things
again shall I tell you all the places
I went when I had nowhere to go
shall I draw you a map

while it is still night
with morning around the edges
I will take the face of dawn
in my hands and say it

surely if I can tell anyone
I can tell her
that I have found
the gods and discovered
I am not one of them

if I must have
faith in something
it might as well be the desert
as the river it might as well be
today as tomorrow my fingers
as my teeth it might
as well be despair

all I can do for the moth
is light the candle
all I can do for the forgotten
is forget

City Blues and Brights - City Lights

Really old one--from about ten years ago, and it looks as if I need to find my original with its unique formatting: that we can be "City Lights!!!"

It's a morning glow - the kitchen at dawn.
City blues. The kitchen at dawn.
Come on, get up, wake up!
It's a brand new morning!

Look out the window, look at the sky...
Watch the stars fade
the night stars
lights of night fade
take some stars into your heart
Quick! Look up in the sky – look quickly.
quietly, softly, look
while still there's time
Circle some stars - circle some stars
to bring them into your heart

You're up, you're awake. You’re ready
You're ready, you're alive
It's a brand new morning!
It's a beautiful morning!
Hold onto the morning, day is breaking
night is over
This is the sunshine place
It's a city bright

Take that heartful of stars you've
borrowed from the sky
there's a basket over there
set some of those stars
into that basket
You'll need them in the darkness of your night.

Day's breaking
Day's broken all over the city
City blues - the city at dawn

Sit and savor the sunrise
savor the day
bask in and savor the kitchen at daybreak
Watch that basket of stars
guard that basketful of stars
Are the stars still in your heart?
Delight in them - Hold them dear
And share them
Share them...

City blues, urban blues that is.
Sun's up - Morning's here

Morning's ready! There's a city out there
A big city out there - A Great City
get on out there and scratch for
life
hold on, hold on
hold on. Don’t let go.
Keep those stars in your heart
and give all of them away.
There’s lots more where those came from.
This city will be a sunshine place.

Day's done, it's end o'day
Watch those stars in your heart,
in that basket
Morning's over, so's afternoon
it's evening now
night's closing in...

It's sundown. Night's right at hand
Watch those stars in that basket,
on that table
Watch them closely
night's...almost...here

What promise will you offer the night?
What answer will you give to the night?
Night has dawned upon all of us
Night's here now
Now is the season of night
sleep

You made a covenant with the day
The stars you show are its sign
Will your covenant enfold the night
as well?

It's night now, darkness time
Stars in the basket on the table
Stars in your heart
In your heart - Sleep quietly
...now...
Morning's on the way

© Leah Chang