Syracuse, Siracusa

Sunrise often means
standing at the front door
in Syracuse, New York.
looking across the highway
at the sun coloring over  
cornfields with layer 
upon layer of golden rays.

But this particular morning
I am in Siracusa, Sicily,
looking across city streets
through a medieval style
octagonal window,
sun’s rays blessing
old stone buildings,
turning limestone into 
golden bricks.

I forget the sorrow 
of daily life at home
and start the day, enter
these streets with joy,
dismiss any shadows, and
rejoice in the magic
of being able to start anew
in the town where our family began.