A Poem for the Winter Solstice in North Leitrim

The crow at dawn,
Dark and alive against the heavy sky.
Snow-burdened branches, evergreen,
Reach to embrace You as You rise.

.

The valley,
Your nativity, and
My mountains pay homage.

The Sun is born and
I sing His praises -
A carol in chorus with the
Wind and the birds and the
Beasts who stir near the manger.

Your warmth, once more, penetrates me.

And as in time before
Wakens slumbering seeds of
Need, desire, and a song of hope still unheard.

D Sallee, 2009.