This is a poem and a song. I have recorded one possible version, and it is linked here. It is meant to be reminiscent of a spiritual. If you have an alternate tune, by all means share!
When the Dawn breaks
It's been a long, long winter It's been a long, long night Waiting for the warmth Waiting for the light It all began in a garden Lost by Adam's faithless sin The new day dawned in a garden When Christ rose and let light in Oh to be there in that garden to hear the birds at break of day To hear the Master call my name And bid me come and stay. I won't be in that garden Maybe not for years and years But when that dawn breaks, for sure, It will answer all my prayers To hear his voice, to see his face Is something I can't earn I can only trust redeeming grace And love for love return.
Imagine this sung in a folk hymn style, like the spirituals Swing low Sweet Chariot, or Follow the Drinking Gourd.