BEFORE  FULL LIGHT

I wake before full light 

to an eraser smudged world

the softness envelopes me, 

a cocoon of gray fuzz

I feel my way to the bathroom

reluctant give up the coziness 

of my undefined world

choosing the soft blur

of a predawn landscape

the books on my shelf

the bedclothes I have carelessly

tossed aside, the white outlines 

of my footboard, all lovely, friendly

in the hours before dawn

soon the sun will rise

and cut away the soft shadows

bringing focus to the chest of drawers

the closet doors, 

the chair where I sit and read

but for now, I claim  

this mellow world for my own

JANICE KUYKENDALL

NOVEMBER 24, 2012