Wednesday, July 1, 2026

Out of the Ordinary

I awoke this morning to an ordinary day
the sun peeking through the blinds where
last night’s moonlight lulled me into sleep

the clock that sits on the nightstand
day after day a reminder of the
gift of time, space and life

I ponder slipping into another dream
but, the day calls with a to-do-list
of everyday things, watering the plants
picking up groceries and returning a
book to the library…nothing spectacular
going on or is there?

even ordinary thing can bring surprises
like the red cardinal that sits on the
roof of my white car…singing a song
in the sweltering heat under a blue
sky and I’m grateful to be alive….

written for What's Going On? Ordinary Things
hosted by Sherry

16 comments:

  1. Wow! I love this! Especially the red cardinal (we dont get them here) against that blue blue sky....what a gift! With all that is going on in the world, the gift of an ordinary day is no small thing. Millions would long for our normal days.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sherry! I love where the prompt took me. I agree we are lucky to have normal days.

      Delete
  2. How wonderful it is to reach this conclusion - to wanting life - long may there always be birds singing for you in this world - Jae

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. May there always be birds singing in the the world.

      Delete
  3. I love this quiet flow of life which takes an extraordinary turn. The sudden brightening up of the last stanza with colors and joy is so surprising. Beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Sumana. I was surprised with the cardinal on my car.

      Delete
  4. I love how an ordinary day leaves us open to surprises and how you captured that in your poem, Truedessa. The list of everyday things, such as the ‘clock that sits on the nightstand’, ‘watering the plants’ and ‘picking up groceries’, is familiar and comforting, so the ending with the red cardinal, that splash of colour in the ordinary day, makes your reader grateful to be alive too!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Kim, thank you for your comment. Every day I wake up is a good day.

      Delete
  5. A cardinal is a spiritual sign from a loved one...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Alex - I agree I think it was indeed a sign.

      Delete
  6. "the clock that sits on the nightstand
    day after day a reminder of the
    gift of time, space and life"
    I actually love that moment of waking when a moment of pause takes place before the to-do list sets in. Each thing on the list is also a sign of ongoing life--always ready for the element of surprise. You capture this quite beautifully in your poem.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Susan, I too find peace in the first moments of awakening. It is reflective no matter the time.

      Delete
  7. I love this, True. Very visual as always. The simplest pleasures are sometimes the most potent.

    ReplyDelete
  8. This is lovely. Small treats every day. The cardinal was a bonus!

    ReplyDelete