Wonder by Daniel Law

“Grace fills empty spaces, but it can only enter where there is a void to receive it” - Simone Weil

An expanse, barren and sparse.

Look closer.

Is that the echo

of a once roaring river?

And closer, still

marks, carved in ancient stone,

of a people, who in better times

lived in harmony with this place.

Sharing temples

refuge from blistering sun

and chilling, hollow nights.

beneath a purple shroud

of stars.

Yet, look more closely now

and still, teeming life —

a thriving garden

fresh dewy mornings.

Saguaro, barrel — thirsty totems

storing life in aloe

with roots deep and wide

shade jackrabbits,

and yellow-backed spines.

Listen too — is that not the sound

of Anna’s bird

on a restless quest

to scatter the glory of nature

a quail among the covey

wagering they might still be heard.

Over the golden eagle’s screech,

as she lays claim

to the air, the rocks and sand.

With the sun now low, soft pink and at rest,

coyote howls rise on air,

graceful echoes swell beneath a blue sky —

a refrain to mark the day.

__________

Daniel Law is a new poet currently working on his debut collection, Vessels. His first published poem, “Wonder,” marks the beginning of his journey in poetry.