“Joyful is the dark
  coolness of the tomb,
waiting for the wonder
  of the morning.

Never was that midnight
  touched by dread and gloom;
darkness was the cradle
  of the dawning.”

– Brian Wren

Most of us are not personally experiencing symptoms of a pandemic virus, but with all the changes around us, with all the worries within us, many of us have been touched by dread and gloom.

I can find many layers of meaning in this poem. Today I think this poem excerpt reminds us to find the joy where we are, in the moment we are. Are we just waiting for the morning? Or do we take advantage of this pause to gaze up at the beautiful colors of the night? Are we defined by this moment, or do we define it? We are OK right now, so let this time be the cradle of something beautiful.

If you haven’t noticed the moon in this photo, zoom in. I don’t see dread and gloom in this photo. I see color, and hope, and beauty.

Rural Kansas, 2017