Groggily waking to the cry of my newborn in the next room, I remember giving thanks for the sound of life at dawn.
I never took my baby’s breath for granted.
Yet now, in an empty house, it takes effort not to roll over with a groan when a buzzer rouses me from dreams.
I’ve sat shiva for too many who should have lived to see another day.
And so I remind myself with a prayer to be grateful my soul didn’t slip away in my sleep.
Modah Ani. I have been granted another dawn to reject despair and discover what else awaits before my days come to an end.
About the author:
Jacqueline Jules is the author of Manna in the Morning (Kelsay Books, 2021) and Itzhak Perlman's Broken String, winner of the 2016 Helen Kay Chapbook Prize from Evening Street Press. Her poetry has appeared in over 100 publications. Visit www.jacquelinejules.com