Festivals of light

Swallow the light. Photo by Gadjo Cardenas Sevilla, Flickr

I start the spring in lanterns red
That flit and float on by.
Bold fireworks burst overhead –
A Chinese New Year sky.

I beam from mosques and minarets
Where stars and crescents dawn.
Your fast can break when I am set
Each day of Ramadan.

I pool in diyas – small clay pots
That shine in homes scrubbed clean.
They welcome souls and happy thoughts
That on Diwali gleam.

I spark menorahs – flames of eight
The Maccabees once saw.
This miracle we celebrate
At every Hanukkah.

I wind through branches evergreen
To soften winter’s gloom.
My twinkling presence always means
That Christmas will come soon.

No matter where on Earth I glow,
One hope makes me burn bright:
That joy and peace is ours to know
With just a little light!


Prayer #266: Everywhere, Light

We've crossed the threshold once again, when sapphire night creeps after wan sun and cuts it off mid-gulp. But from this moment on, the day will fight back. Stand taller. Regain its ground.

All of us around the world, in our own times and ways, fight this battle. And we all choose the same weapon: light. Flickering, sputtering, winking, burning light. Pure in its creation. Honest in its stance. Holy in the way it reveals our path.

Amen.

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Merry Christmas from Italian Mother Syndrome! May the blessings and joy of this season be yours, now and throughout the year.