The backyard maplesspeak in fire-tongues,filling the windowswith gold light as though they were banksof candles, burningbefore great shrines,these days of the dead, in vigil and

10 January 2021—The Baptism of the Lord Falling since morninga whiteness common elsewherebut rare enough in these climescovers sights all too common here and now

The world stands out on either side/No wider than the heart is wide.—“Renascense” by Edna St. Vincent Millay How wide the world?“No wider than the

a woman sky eternal silencesprings the sun newbornalabaster is the memorywhere singular is the right purpose of the heartiridescent bodydoes not cling for all is

Cathedral elms once graced our street Before they cut them down.As rot seeped into greenery,On came the chain-saw sound. Cathedral elms were God’s sure signOur

Though you had always lived in light, you lookeddeep in the dark, and chose the way of pain. Deep in the dark, we chose the

Sometimes, when I fearthe small light I bringisn’t big enough or brightenough, I think of that nighton the beach years agowhen every step I tookin

If you were hereI would put my handon your heartand hold it thereuntil our breathsbecame a single tide,hold it there untilI could feel the momentwhen

With thanks to Wendell Berry What if diplomas were earned for the seconddefinition of the verb“graduate”: “to change graduallyby degrees”? What if teachers graded using,say,