With the silence of light in darkness,
with the yearning for tenderness 
of an obedient child,
the compounding of grief
and relief 
releases
comforting perfume:
scars and other gifts
that have awakened me
in a forgiving world.

—/

The delightful impermanence 
of sunlit flickering shadows
shows me a path
out of the fearful 
cave, out into
the blue-skyed green-leafing
world,
where storms can pass,
and living through them
teaches the beauty of joy.