DAWN
This morning
when I opened my eyes from
sleeping I could not remember
what place this is.
I thought I was in
my mother's winter hogan.
Now I remember.
This is summer camp.
Tall trees stretch above me.
In the darkness
they look blacker than the night.
As I lie here,
safe and warm beneath
my blanket,
all around me turns to gray mist,
all around me turns to silver.
Darkness is gone,
but it made no sound.
It left no footprints.
The world is still asleep.
Through the pine trees
day comes up
light comes up.
In the pine trees
bird wings are stirring,
bird songs are stirring.
I hear them.
I hear them.
The grass beside my blanket
is wet with night rain.
Morning mist is on the leaves
and in my hair.
I put one toe out,
one brown toe out.
It is hard to get up
when it is cold.
Blue smoke from my mother's fire
curls upward in a thin blue line.
The sheep move inside their corral.
I come out from under my blanket,
from under my warm blanket.
Like the other things around me,
I come out
to greet the day.