A GIFTED DAY

Today, Dvořák’s *New World* gifted me a day;
it smiled upon me with benevolence.
Flowers sprang from the soil on slender stems,
opening my eyes—
like flower petals—to the visible spectrum of colors.

Today, a sunbeam touched me;
a stream of light poured forth in a generous flow,
causing my dark thoughts to shine,
melting the frost within my troubled spirit—
a spirit tilted by grim news—
until the warmth of enlightenment enfolded me.

Today, a white heron in flight beckoned me,
inviting my own feet to take wing—
to ascend into a higher, non-violent sphere,
breaking free from the earthbound realm
and the stifling weight of this bitter harshness.