By the Dawn’s Early Light
By Jenyth Jo
July 1, 2020
By the dawn’s early light
morning mists take shape
as clouds above the Crow Canyon.
Bay fog lingers, fingers stretch over the
top of Morgan territory’s ridge,
as if a cloudy presence is pulling itself up
to see the sunrise.
By the dawn’s early light
the south side of Mt. Diablo glows
behind circling red tail hawks.
Last year, runners and walkers lined the road
for the 4th of July Run San Ramon.
This spring, San Ramon spirit shone:
I thought of Betsy Ross hand-stitching her flag,
as many machine-stitched masks for our front lines.
Sheltered in place, San Ramon battled together.
We recognized the greater good,
finding our senior neighbors and shopping for them,
posting senior graduation signs and honking at them.
Some of us planted larger gardens
watched them grow, watered hope
by the dawn’s early light.
On this 4th of July as the sun rises
on skies as clear as 1983 -
when the land I love became
the City of San Ramon-
let us remember,
all of us can author
a stronger democracy
in this dawn’s early light.