THE LIGHT OF A NEW DAY

by Emily Black


A willow tree bends in supplication,
waits in cloud-bound moonlight,

weeping. It echoes my sense of loss,
unknown, unknowable loss.

Tomorrow morning this willow
will still weep, that is its nature,

its symbolic sadness. Sunrise will
light my new day, will shine,

will fill me with rapturous glory.
This is sacred land I tread on,

my ancestors’ land. They withstood
far more life-defying challenges

than I’ve ever known. Their strength
and perseverance lives in me. 

Their stories are etched in my heart.
I carry their hopes and dreams in my blood,

in my spirit, and will always, until the end
of my life on this sacred earth.


* * * * *

Emily Black, the second woman to graduate in Civil Engineering from the University of Florida, enjoyed a long engineering career. She began writing poetry recently and is published in numerous journals. Her first poetry book, The Lemon Light of Morning, was published by Bambaz Press in 2022. Her second book is scheduled for publication in 2023. Emily wears Fire Engine Red Lipstick.