AS THE SUN RISES

Alone on this December day
in the woods where I belong
as dawn breaks in a frosted way
listening to some silent song.

Forest stirs slowly into life;
thrushes rustling in the duff.
Before long all birds run rife.
Jays call out both loud and gruff.

A pair of squirrels in the tree tops
chase each other seeking love
in that ancient dance that never stops.
Sun hits the canopy above.

A pair of deer suddenly appear,
a fair sized buck and flirty doe.
I see them but I'm not really here.
I'm where ever old daydreamers go.

My mind has gone into the past
with all the loved ones who have left;
the price of aging hits home at last.
Too many have left me here bereft.

Too soon I've become an old man,
what little hair I have is white.
I can't recall when I last ran.
A honking flight of geese comes into sight.

Thing I could once easily do,
people I knew, too many gone.
truths which I swear I once-ler's knew.
Like trees leaves they all are gone.

Then sun's warmth lands on my face
along with thought of my life's love.
I realize I've yet to run this race.
For her I go on push come to shove.

And I smile for the first time today,
refocus on life that's all around.
Not everything is dark and grey
as long as I'm above the ground
and love is not too far away.