Learning To Pray Again Beneath The Milky Way

All night, these stars.

All night, this ocean of darkness

deepens and extends filaments

that hold the memory of a thousand

astonished generations staring up

in amazement at the road of birth

squeezed across the surface 

of gold dust light and sky.

This belongs to you.

You can fall down in wonder as much as you need to.

Go ahead, risk it.

You can rediscover love as often as you want.

A galaxy of grace enfolds you.

There is no hidden glory waiting to be smudged off.

There is no use pretending all your pain has been healed.

There’s just tonight, awake and alive.

Amen.