on the 19th of January

One night you will sit down

in your favorite chair

at the end of a long drizzly day.

On the 19th of January

the afternoon’s gray will descend

quickly to evening’s black,

the warm lights in the living room

will embrace your soul,

dampened the past 22 hours

by the clouds of conflict

that seem to cover everything,

even the stars.

Still, you will pause to remember

the morning’s brief sanctuary

when you entrusted yourself

to the vulnerability of silence

and the ministry of compassionate listening.

And you will remember

the arrival of the early afternoon

when you relished a feast of prayerful reading

with the neighbor whose

friendly curiosity quickened

the child within

and renewed your love of holy writ.

And, as you pause to remember,

you will breathe again, happy,

at peace with the world,

covered in grace.

……………….

on the 19th of January

by troy cady