Dawn Breaks Over the Sea of Galilee
by Maureen Grady
Only birdcall heralds this day.
A white flock in perfect symmetry
crosses the brightening sky.
Here a drop of pure peace,
deep still water,
a mirror for ourselves.
And there the Golan Heights,
etched in shades of palest blue,
merge with sky.
What is this inland sea teaching,
born at the heart place
of this land?
It opens not to the world, to vast waters, but to us.
Drink of living water,
you who are divided.
PHOTO: Sea of Galilee, Israel. Photo by Heatherswhite2.
NOTE: The Sea of Galilee in Israel is the lowest freshwater lake on Earth and the second-lowest lake in the world (after the Dead Sea, a saltwater lake), at levels between 705 feet and 686 feet below sea level. It is approximately 33 miles in circumference, about 13 miles long, and 8.1 miles wide. Its area is 64.4 square miles at its fullest, and its maximum depth is approximately 141 feet. The lake is fed partly by underground springs but its main source is the Jordan River, which flows through it from north to south and exits the lake at the Degania Dam. In the New Testament, much of the ministry of Jesus occurs on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Many of his miracles are also said to have occurred here, including walking on water, calming the storm, and feeding the multitude.
PHOTO: Sea of Galilee, Israel. Photo by Sasha1961.
NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: After the death of my father, I took a spiritual journey, following in the footsteps of Christ. One morning, as dawn was breaking in Galilee, I experienced pure peace in a place so often fraught with the opposite.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Maureen Grady is author of two books of poetry: Unpack My Heart With Words (2015), and Land of Dream and Dreamer, Poems of Ireland (2019). Maureen is a writer, teacher, actor, producer, and private writing coach. She has taught British and Irish Literature, Shakespeare, and Creative Writing for many years. Her private creative writing conservatory has nurtured many young women writers. Maureen was fortunate to have John L’Heureux as a mentor at Stanford, and studied with Seamus Heaney and Eavan Boland. She has won two teaching prizes: the student-nominated “One of LA’s Most Inspiring Teachers,” and a national recognition for teaching Creative Writing from Scholastic Books given at Carnegie Hall by Tony Kushner. Maureen is a graduate of Stanford University with a BA in Literature, minor in History/Art History. She also has a Masters in Theatre. Maureen is an Irish and US citizen and divides her time between Ireland, Italy, and America, and longs to see all the world.
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