Alert to Glory

to sun-break and water-burst, to land-ho and pinnacle reach

to shimmer shine of light on wave, of moon glow on broken glass;

to face-praise the world in the stroll-hours of the park; to hear

the lark music of argument in the pew wing of the fowl;

for before anywhere, it begins in the seeing, alertness before the glory

in the bit sound of hammer pound, from the spark and spray

of smithies in the watery forge behind the eye

where tears spring like iron to shoe the horse of sight’s delight;

alertness, the soul’s beam, light tunnel of praise, through which

to gain-gallop the cup, the trophy,

the thing won and earned by having been sought and found,

Glory, the lost sheep of Joy.

~Sally Ito