Monday Morning Musing for the New Year

January 4, 2021

Seattle, WA

A dear friend recently remarked that she enjoys the sheer variety of poets whose work I discover and share in this space. Poets are liturgists, aren't they? Offering words when ours fail or simply fail to appear. Penning descriptors to that which is holy.

I have my favorites and I'll bet you have yours. As I searched for a poem to share on this first Monday morning in 2021, I found a new poem and poet. I hope you enjoy this offering on this new day in this new year. ~JH+

Down near the bottom of the crossed-out list

of things you have to do today,

between "green thread" and "broccoli", you find

that you have penciled "sunlight."

Resting on the page, the word is beautiful.

It touches you

as if you had a friend

and sunlight were a present sent from

someplace distant as this

morning - to cheer you up,

and to remind you that, among your duties,

pleasure is a thing

that also needs accomplishing.

~Tony Hoagland, 1953-2018