I am too little certain
For a man of principle
Too little learned
For a man of letters
Too little wise
For a man who listens
Too little
For many things

Still
Time remains

In the deepness
Of a moment
I find multitudes
Of stars:

Knowledge
Wonder
Fury
Calm
Wisdom
Innocence

Dullest grey and brilliant light
Pervade my senses
Each not without the other
And I with both

Gleaming dewdrops
Frozen by December’s chill
Sparkling under the sunrise
In the briefest moment
Before they return
To the earth

Let us go
Into the forest
And look not at the trail
But follow the branches
And the leaves
And the speckled sunlight
That peeks through the canopy

Let us go
Out to sea
And look not to the shoreline
But follow the gulls
And the waves
And the sparkling stars
As they break the night’s veil

Let us go
Along a road
Unknown
Only for that we have not yet tread upon it

A fire am I
Not still
Not cool
Not waiting

But fluid
Full of heat
Destroying and creating
From the dead of the world
I make what has not been seen before
And in the briefest moment
After too many breaths
It disappears

But I remain
Fire

Boughs of fir
Colored lights
Crisp air and warm halls
Stew to warm my innards
Ale to calm my mind
A fire to turn death to life
And a blanket of snow
to dampen distant calls

Thank the stars for laughter

And for kind words

And for togetherness

Thank the stars for those who make us laugh

Who tell us kind things

Who make togetherness easy

Thank the stars for them

Before they’re gone

Bring me quiet
And a fire
Hot to burn away my fears
Hot to turn to ash my woes
Hot to make of my struggles a flame
And melt away
The fallen snow
Blanketing my aching heart