A fogbound shore, a lonely bird, and I—
all else obscured beneath a leaden sky.
Ignoring foam spray from incoming tide,
the sea gull walked sedately at my side
disconsolate (not as a bird should be);
and I, alas, disconsolate as he.
Did this express creation's ageless theme,
"Let there be light"? Its premises would seem
as frail and insecure as transient sight,
which sees no farther than the rim of night.
Expectant, listening, alert through prayer,
I heard an angel visitant declare,
"Joy, like a song unsung, remains earthbound;
unloosed, it shatters gloom with its glad sound."
This precious gift from Love became a key
to unlock for me that inner sight, to see
the mist dissolve, revealing hills and shore
ablaze with light, where drabness reigned before.
Often had I seen proof of God's all-power,
but none surpassed the beauty of that hour.
Winds, waves, and rocks reechoed my delight,
and lo! the gull on lifted wing took flight.
