In Times Like These

Photo by Paolo Nicolello on Unsplash

Dear friends,

As we make our way through this holiday season, on the heels of a very difficult year, I find myself thinking about the power of small, simple acts like lighting a candle for lost loved ones, or observing rituals that keep us grounded and present in our lives as they are. I offer the poem below in the spirit of this grounding, and as a way of saying a big thanks to each of you. The act of opening this email and receiving what I share every week feels like a gesture of love that I will never forget, or take for granted.

In Times Like These

Even lighting a candle seems

an act of radical faith,

the blackened wick reaching

like a root for the flame

that will both nourish

and diminish it. Yet we keep

the old rituals alive, let

this flickering speak, knowing

nothing can quiet the voices

of those we’ve lost, those

taken by violence and hate.

A single gesture of love is

such a delicate, durable thing—

snowflake dissolving as soon

as it meets the skin,

though the body will always

remember its shape.

—James Crews

*

If you enjoy these free weekly emails, please consider making a donation here, or become a member and support this offering on a monthly basis.

Just a reminder: you can always purchase signed copies of any of my books for yourself or as a gift for loved ones from my local indie bookstore, Battenkill Books. You can order here, and Connie and her amazing staff will ship anywhere in the U.S.!