Unnumbered Day Marching In Endless File

Oh, Daughters of Endless Time,
Unnumbered days marching in endless file,
Passing soundlessly into cold dark….
I light a candle: hold it in my hand—
A diadem in the crown of years,
Turn and depart to ponder silence,
Wondering, weeping, wishing into winter’s night.

Such is the small fire within my heart,
Burning within the kingdom of eternal stars,
Tiny measure of solemn sparks that dance
Barefoot in the winter sky,
Offerings of Earth as wind and fire,
Bread and wine— praying, singing,
Dancing all the praises held within the heart.

Let Me Rest In Darkness

Ah, Darkness, let me rest within you.
Silently, silently let me linger with
Weary ending of the year and learn,
Unhindered by unceasing care.

Caressed by opaque protective arms,
Held within cold, faint mystery of
Absence of a stronger soaring light,
Let me lie covered by long, slow shadows.

Teach unspoken wisdom known only by unknowing,
Unspoken in the darkness of the night,
Waiting in sacredness my eyes cannot see,
Blind as I am, unable to love what is and is not.

Let me not lament the darkness of winter days,
Finding joy in the simple stillness around me.
May I be overshadowed by a darker beauty,
Barely visible in the shimmering glory of a summer day.

Oh, Darkness, shield me from the weight of expectation.
Allow me to walk without fear into the dim domain of
Serenity, deep peace, away from the stimuli of heated desire,
Communing only with eternal stars to guide my way.

Close my eyes and help me sense within the dark a perfect presence,
Empty space quieting the pounding heart… remaining aware,
Leaving Self behind without desiring not to be,
Knowing the Soul does not belong to the world.

Naked Wholeness

Hour by hour the year passes,
Slowly, rapidly fading into oblivion,
Alive to the very moment, always Now,
Stretching open without searching,
Content to be in quiet darkness.

Without looking, I surrender.
Without knowing, I am held;
Fragments gathered into one source,
Empty space and ground of All.

Scattered and unified, I breathe in
Naked, elemental wholeness—
A blind, simple awareness, poised
Within abundance of the soul.

Concentrated, distilled in essence,
Humbled by the perfect
Imperfection of my being,
Rooted in unending flow of love.

Like A Plant, I Lean Toward Light

As darkness grows toward solstice,
Like a plant, I lean toward light…
Focus with longing heart
Through length of darkest night
To catch a glimpse of promise for
Return of lingering light.

Though snow now falls on frozen ground,
Deep within the crust of Earth
Warmth still abides and patiently
Waits in silent hope for future Spring…
One by one, I let go of winter’s bitter days,
Both wild and spare in all its perishing glory,
Strain without precise expectation
Toward whirling dreams of what is yet to come.