New Dawn

A long chain of days ago,
I lay down on a young night,
With my very angry heart
And wishing much to say.

I now rouse to the rhythms of a day,
Still seeing women and men I saw:
Worker women and men of might.

I saw the old sun always on the rise
And see that sun now, near and bright;
I saw the moon in the sky, on her vigil;
Another dawn is here, new and so still.

Morning dew has whet my breath
On this new day, here to remain.
And its dawning is green where I am,
And wet at the soles of my feet.

I spent the last lonely nights in a hut,
With fire burning on its floor of mud
As I sat by that fire, tired and sad,
Just reading shadows where I sat.

Cast on top was me, but kneeling on the ceiling;
And it was me again: warming and yawning;
And it was me yet again: my mind journeying
After yet a day of me, sitting there and dreaming.

Yesterdays are gone, the current day is here
With a bright new sun, shining in the sky;
And soon a yellow moon, standing up high:
This day will be long; it forces me to cheer!

A most beauteous thing today also brings:
Today is a day so high as the sun on its wings
And good as a goose’s eggs that never spoil,
Amid this marching and searching on in toil.

I lived alone night-long in my hut;
Now, as never before, we are two.
I thought doors of night ever shut,
Now, there is day and work to do.

I used to sit by, seeing fires burning;
Now, I can also have them doused;
I slept tons of times without turning;
Now I turn; only now, when aroused.