Song for the Morning's Open Hands
In Praise of the Living and the Light
O day! I rise from my bed like a river rises after the spring rains,
I throw my arms wide and sing — not for sorrow, but for the grand clamor of being!
The trees shiver with laughter in the early breeze,
The sparrow rattles its small bright drum against the sky.
Today is no ordinary day — it is stitched in gold thread by unseen fingers,
It is a field tilled fresh, it is the bread broken among friends,
It is the salt on my lips and the blood in my feet as I walk the earth,
bare as a boy at the edge of a swimming hole.
I call to every man and woman — come out! come out!
Leave your closed houses and heavy dreams!
Let the sun press its sweet mouth to your skin,
Let the world bruise you with its beauty until you fall laughing into its arms.
I shout hallelujah to no church, to no altar but this:
The rattling leaves, the iron smell of the river,
The coarse hands of the world lifting me up, always lifting.
Bless the mud, bless the hound on the trail,
bless the worn shoes and the endless road ahead!
I am not alone — no, not ever!
The very grass knows my name, and the stones warm themselves for me.
Today, I belong to everything —
and everything belongs to me.
About the Creator
Tim Carmichael
Tim is an Appalachian poet and cookbook author. He writes about rural life, family, and the places he grew up around. His poetry and essays have appeared in Bloodroot and Coal Dust, his latest book.
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The story invoked strong personal emotions
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Comments (27)
its have real motivation
Congratulations on your top story- this is altogether a joy to read.
"Let the world bruise you with its beauty until you fall laughing into its arms"- A standout line in a beautiful poem. Congratulations on your top story, Tim!
Congrats on TS!
Beautiful and so inspirational ☺️💙
Congratulations on the top story
This is beautiful <3 Congratulations on getting top story
nice
Beautiful!! Congratulations on top story!!🎉🎉🎉
Me too, nature is my temple too. Everyday, I see it, to diminish human stress. Inspiring nature poem, Tim.
This is gorgeous. I love the deep feeling of belonging and oneness
Congratulations on the Top Story!
And this got Top Story! 🎉🥳 Congratulations! No wonder I loved it so much. 💕☺️
Oh my, this is wonderfully said. Nature rejoices in your words. Bravo and congrats.
I liked this very much. Great imagery.
Very well deserving of TS. Congratulations; this is truly beautiful.
Beautiful piece. Congrats on the TS.
Congrats on Top Story! You definitely deserved it for this one! It's fantastic
"The sparrow rattles its small bright drum against the sky." Loving the imagery here!
This is a rich, rich poem, Tim; I feel that I can hear the breath of the wind and feel the warm sun and cool earth beneath my feet with each passing line- you really made it come alive. Bravo on the Top Story, it is most well-deserved!
gorgeous, uplifting & spiritually-refreshing! Go Tim! 💪🏾🌸
The complete sense of belonging at the end is very profound. I love this poem.
Very talented poet Tim. I like these sentiments a lot.
Your poem is really uplifting. A perfect read today
A very uplifting poem that deserves to be read.