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Sunrise Service

Armchair Church

By Judey Kalchik Published about a year ago 1 min read
Top Story - September 2024
https://pixabay.com/users/kapa65-61253/

Where is that phone?

Must stop the ringing alarm noise making

What is that strange light?

Where is the happy coffee juice I need?

Where am I?

Oh. Heather's. Oh; alone in bed.

Squinting trying to find my glasses.

Where are my, there. Here they are.

Glasses and bare feet down the steps.

Make my way through the unfamiliar kitchen to make the much needed coffee.

Settled in the chair to look out the window at the beach down by the yard's end.

That glow.

That shimmer.

Unconcealed access to the sunrise is new.

That's nice.

That's bright.

That's................. amazing. That's amazing.

There must be people lined up at the beach taking pictures of this. (Squints) No people.

How do you get used to this?

It's gold and orange and bright hot white.

Scaled shimmers and sparkling twinkles and feathery arms reaching to tickle the water.

It's leaf peeping, shyly twisting through the branches to highlight the teeniest flecks of red.

And I'm the only one here for this performance?

I must be.

I must be or there would be huzzahs loud enough to raise the village in adoration of the sky's benediction.

I never wanted to do the Easter Sunrise service.

It was usually frigid and sleepy and people-y and public.

And sun worship for Son worship seems blasphemous or denying the universality of the thing and I was young and what did I know?

But this?

This is me and coffee and bare feet and velvet chair in someone else's home and personal access to awe through a window.

Not people-y.

No fanfare or microphones.

No bulletin or collection plate.

Today was Sunrise Service For One.

author's photo 9/9/24

For the Vocal Challenge:

Comments welcomed.

Free Verse

About the Creator

Judey Kalchik

It's my time to find and use my voice.

Poetry, short stories, memories, and a lot of things I think and wish I'd known a long time ago.

You can also find me on Medium

And please follow me on Threads, too!

Reader insights

Nice work

Very well written. Keep up the good work!

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Comments (31)

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  • EchoVerse Poet2 months ago

    Good wishes.

  • Angie J. Leite5 months ago

    Really liked it. Beautiful!

  • Mahrun Jara9 months ago

    Lovely & Beautiful

  • Manish Pishey11 months ago

    This poem feels like being on a holiday with a book and coffee. With free sunrise at your service.

  • Sanjay Upadhyayabout a year ago

    Beautiful poem ❤️❤️

  • Melissa Ingoldsbyabout a year ago

    Very lovely to enjoy the experience of a beautiful sunrise or sunset

  • Testabout a year ago

    Beautiful poem!

  • Linda Goodmanabout a year ago

    Congratulations on your top story

  • Tiffany Gordonabout a year ago

    ❤️❤️❤️

  • Cindy Calderabout a year ago

    Loved this poetic self reflection. Congratulations on the top story.

  • Grz Colmabout a year ago

    ☺️ 👍

  • Well deserved Top Story!✅ I love sunrise services at Easter!🤩 In my teen years, youth camp, Easter Sunday services were on the shores of a lake.

  • Gerard DiLeoabout a year ago

    REally enjoyed this. Such an introspective journey for just a single episode of self. Congrats on TS.

  • Jay Kantorabout a year ago

    Jk - A Bit out of your 'Instructive' comfort zone Schticks - But, so TOP workable on behalf of our VillageBucket. Jk-bud

  • JBazabout a year ago

    Wow, love this so much. It gives a person that peaceful need in our lives. I liked how you started this with questions then a soft resolution of wonder. Congratulations

  • Paul Stewartabout a year ago

    Exquisite, young Kalchikalika! This is perfect. I wish my streams made as much sense as this beautiful untapped entrypoint into your mind and your mind's eye. Well done and so glad it got a bloody quick Top Story! At least you're not promoting Ollie. lol.

  • Caitlin Charltonabout a year ago

    So I was sitting here like a child who had just discovered a new gem, I could not stop reading, I read this all in one go. You took us on the journey and made us feel exactly what you were feeling, it started out as a sunrise service for one, but you did well in making it a sunrise service for 18

  • Mariann Carrollabout a year ago

    So relatable, I love the imagery of morning sun break as well.

  • Testabout a year ago

    Judey, this is so glorious!!!! So deserving of the instant TS you received!!! Great work and congrats on Top Story!! 🎉

  • Karan w. about a year ago

    so beautiful.👍

  • Gina C.about a year ago

    Beautiful read! Enjoyed this so much :)

  • Leslie Writesabout a year ago

    This is so lovely 😊

  • Tim Boxerabout a year ago

    Evocative.

  • Heather Hublerabout a year ago

    I loved that last line :) Beautiful imagery in this, Judey. And I found seeing my first name so jarring, lol. I was like wait, what? lol

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