Many, many moons ago,
when I was about ten
my sister Brenda and I
rose at dawn
one Easter Sunday morning.
We were really excited
because we were hoping to see the sun
dancing in the sky
as Mammy had told us.

A short time later,
two very disappointed wee girls
came in from the garden
and Mammy suggested
Easter eggs for breakfast
to cheer ourselves up
(it worked!)

This Easter Sunday
I rise early
for a much more practical reason –
I’ve loads of music to learn
for Easter Sunday Mass.
As I walk sleepily
into the cold kitchen
I see the back window
filled with the brightly-coloured
peach and blue display
of an Easter Sunday sunrise –
a wonderful, glowing celebration
of Our Risen Lord!

My heart lifts and I sense
that all of the disappointment
of my childhood Easter Sunday morning
has been swept away
in an instant.

And as I settle down
(with a cup of tea, of course!)
to learn my music
against the wonderful backdrop
of this glorious sunrise,
my heart is filled
with the joy of Easter.

© Claire Murray, Easter 2024