A Second’s Sight
A Second’s Sight
Somewhere on a hillside,
Overlooking a valley of peace,
Stands a young shepherd.
On a hillside,
Overlooking a valley absent from the noise of industry,
Trills a bird,
First to herald this day’s end.
Above a quiet valley,
Overlooked by a hillside,
Stands a youth with ears of innocence,
Who hears the first note of a small chorus.
Standing apart from his sheep,
The boy turns.
Above some mountains,
Higher than a hillside,
Lowers the sun.
Done it is with warming this place,
It yields to moon and stars and wide places without light.
As they in their turns will yield,
In other places,
In other times.
Aloft,
Over the hillside,
Above the valley,
The sun must say goodnight,
But as promise of tomorrow’s return,
It sends one last great ray to the hillside.
Apart from sheep,
Away from shepherd,
Near a bird,
Stands a rock.
It has shaded many shepherds.
Above the valley,
Across from hillside,
Cattle were driven.
It took many men.
It took much time.
It raised much dust.
Through the dust,
Above the valley,
Toward the rock,
Upon the hillside,
Arrows the beam.
Speeds the light,
Stands the rock,
Sings the bird,
Turns the boy.
Strikes the light,
Upon the rock,
Up the hill,
Sees the boy,
Who hears the bird.
And in one perfect moment,
Watches as the rock that gives shade,
Becomes the rock that is a million jewels,
As a bird sings of the coming of night.
In years to come,
A shepherd will ask of cattle.
In one year to come,
A shepherd will bring his love to a hillside.
Cattle will be driven on that day.
In another year that comes,
A shepherd will bring his son to a hillside.
On that day a new young shepherd will learn of a miracle.
In a year to come, he will also share.
Cliff Lake 7/5/1993
Comments