Matins
Canonical office 3 a.m. to dawn

rise in the dark
writing poems
my practice
in the hush
profound deep
the world around me
still sleeping

soften my mind
allow the dark
to seep inside
eavesdrop
beneath mind buzz
and brush what waits

while I attend
no notebook
pen or longhand
instead computer,
mouse and keyboard
my sacred tools

this morning
prayers of refuge
for those displaced—
may children
find their families
water, food
and remedies
may elders
have someone to hold
their hand

may the animals
abandoned in war
find kindness and shelter
once again

2023 ©Amrita Skye Blaine
I’m writing a poem a day. These are drafts—not final versions.