Before the dawn

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Am I meant to wake up when the cock crows
or when the sun reaches the dawn
or simply then when the alarm bells ring
loudly in my ear
or only when I really, really need to,
which is pushing each minute to the max,
not a minute of sleep less,
not a minute more!

"How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?
A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest -
and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man."
So says Proverbs 6.10-11.

So it is that this morning
the cock has crowed and I awake.
In anxious dreams I stirred
and pondered on what the Lord has shown.
He's opened my eyes again and again.
The truth sets free,
but at first it's harsh.
At first it hurts.

When the cock crowed the third time,
Peter had realised his folly.
He understood his weakness.
He had come to realise the limit of his love.
He had denied Christ,
but Christ denied him not.

I seek a kind word
to ease my anxious heart.

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