Truth, In Winter Sky

a poem about looking and really seeing

Photo by Evgeni Tcherkasski on Unsplash

The road hums 
On a familiar drive,
Home from church. 
It only took ‘til the end 
of the parking lot,
The click, 
           click, 
                  click 
Of my signal light 
My mind tick, 
                       tick, 
                             ticks
With all there is left to do tonight. 
The work undone,
The children need fed
Snugly tucked into bed, 
Then books will be read,
Read and re-read,
Not to mention chores
Requiring my sole attention,
Because if I don’t do them 
Who will? 
And even if I finish
There’s still 
More to do tomorrow. 

I feel the weight
Pressing down. 
Much easier imagined
Than done. 
Much easier penned
Than borne. 

So soon after giving up
Crying at the altar,
Surrendering it all to God,
Did I pick it back up again,
And plan, plan, plan
Worry, worry, worry,
              Overthink 
                       Overanalyze
Til I felt a familiar twinge
A distraught feeling 
An overwrought mind, 
Terribly reeling,
Sinking alone in the weight
Of all that depends on me. 


I hear a tiny voice 
in the backseat 
Sweetly whisper
“Starlight, star bright 
First star I see tonight…”
I wait to turn left,
Listening 
The traffic blurs by,
But by God’s good graces 
I glance up
Into a clear winter sky 
Filled with stars, faces
Gleam brightly back at me.


Pulsing interstellar lights  
resound with a single,
Unified voice: 
“Holy, holy, holy
Is the Lord God Almighty,
Who is powerful enough
To speak the Word 
And form masses 
of gas and dust 
Across unfathomable spaces
And unknowable eons,
And He is big enough 
To carry You, 
And all your worries, too.” 


And the angelic voices 
In their car seats 
Continue:
“I wish I may 
I wish I might,
Have the wish
I wish tonight.”


I am struck by the innocence
And hope 
In those tiny, folded hands,


And just like He always seems to do
Jesus speaks through my children 
To wisely teach 
and lovingly correct me. 
“Have the faith of a child,”
The Holy Spirit brings to mind,
“My yoke is easy,
My burden is light.”



I take a deep breath,
Filling my lungs
With His unfailing Love,
I look up,
But this time 
I see 
And know 
With total trust, 
That He holds giants 
of gas and dust,
Yet His other hand 
Fits comfortably in my own,
And He is big enough 
for both. 
He will never let go.
Amen. 





-AW