He woke me from long night;
Crusty eyes cracked,
Dreams of daylight dawned,
Hints of laughing light.
I looked and longed

And long the longing lives;
Shadows share secrets,
Taunting and teasing tales
Of tassels instead of tares.
I stretch and groan.

Why the sleep disturbed
In this endless dawn?
Why the stabs of light,
Fleeting flickers
Breeding foolish flames?

He woke me from long night
To agonizing ache,
Synced with the singular song,
Pregnant and painful,
Creation’s loud groan.

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Some words from the poet:

This is a very personal piece to me, written at a time when we had just discovered that my wife had pregnancy complications and our unborn daughter was at risk. I joined in Creation’s groan and this is what emerged, restless words in a broken, restless world.

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Kenneth Kauffman is a husband and father, charmed by simple pleasures, like jumping into leaf piles.