Dawning of the Light

Even a poet sometimes knows words aren’t enough

Awakened in the dawning of the light
Gazing at stars still shining softly bright
Casting gently down twinkling sighs of love
Seeing a new day sweep in from above

Painted soft clouds streaking across the sky
Brushing pinks and grays, a new day is nigh
Shading orange, purple, strokes of indigo too
Softly violet trails off into a day so new

Layered yellows and reds overlapping in waves
Drops of gray trailing off into notes on the staves
Conducting songs of life as the night retreats
Pulsing chirps collide into cascading beats

Showering down into glowing rays of gold
Echoing grateful hope into a world so bold

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What happened?

While Live for an episode of Ellie’s Exclusives — The Money Trail, with

Ellie Leonard

and

Zev Shalev

, I got the news that while my son was playing at the park, he fell and suffered a compound break in his forearm. Thankfully our son has incredible friends who biked to our house to give us the news so quickly and we have a set of well-trained EMTs who helped gentle that really emotionally charged moment.

My son was moved to the ER for a few hours, where again, an incredible staff of medical professionals gave him the care and attention he (and we as his parents) needed to remain calm. The same platitude can be said for the hospital staff on my son’s surgery team — they were able to set the breaks without any invasive surgery and he is going to recover well (albeit bored and in pain).

What happened afterwards was equally as incredible — I asked for support from the Substack community, my family, my friends with An Unexpected Ask. People I know and people I don’t. The response was the same — an outpouring of love and support.

In so many words—thank you.

I have a hard time articulating the right words to express all the love and gratitude I feel towards everyone who has given so much empathy and thought for my son and our family.

So today’s poem was inspired by the gift you have all given me, my pre-dawn early morning rise, and getting the chance to watch the sun paint the night sky in all the colors of the rainbow.

It was beautiful. It was renewing. It filled me with such a sense of ease.

It looked like the brushstrokes of a Bob Ross painting as the colors shifted and drifted with the clouds.

I know times are rough and getting rougher—I don’t know what the next days or even weeks will look like for any of us; however, I do know that I am overwhelmed by the love and support that has been given.

From my heart, my family’s heart—thank you.

~Nick Paro 🫶🏼

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Nick’s Notes

I'm using poetry and Live discussions to discuss the intersections of politics, veteran's issues, men's issues, mental health, technology, and so much more. This is a reader supported publication where engagement is encouraged and transparency is key — please consider becoming a paid subscriber today and grow the community!

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Special thanks to the Sickest of them all!

~

Soso

| C. McGuire ~