Early Morning, Early Summer

When first light breaks,
And you go out of doors,
Before coffee and city noise,
When there is a suburban
Hush, the air cool
And sharp,

You stand still for a moment
And listen:
A bird, the squirrels chatter,
Distant leaves rustling, maybe
A remote engine turns over.
Pre-day calm.

For that moment, however
Quick it be, you fully attend,
Even if not fully awake.

The rest of the day you
Might be tossed about by
Work and worries, errands
And errors.

But the moment was
Attended,
And, if you’re lucky,
    it will make
    all the rest of 
    the day’s efforts
Worth it.