Mercy by Leslie Bustard

A bird’s bright song bursts the stillness
as I sit at the edge of the bed,
slowing into morning prayer. I hear

“Mer-CIE Mer-CIE
Merce Merce Merce
Mer-CIE Mer-CIE!”

Its song shapes my words:
“Your mercies are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”

Leslie Bustard lives in a century-old row home in Lancaster City, PA with her husband of 32 years, Ned. Here they raised their three daughters. Leslie writes for The Cultivating Project, shares poetry on Black Barn Online, and is eagerly waiting for her new book Wild Things and Castles in the Sky: A Guide to Choosing the Best Books for Children to be published this spring through Square Halo books. Leslie also loves being with friends and family—laughing, talking ideas, wandering in museums, or eating ice cream with them.