A Christmas Card
One cell, suspended.
One smallest beam of
purest light breaks in
And through…
Two cells now, but joined
That light reverberating,
Finding strength in the shared
Boundaries, gaining rather than
Diminishing in brilliance
Four cells, then eight
Momentum surging, energy
Creating life, life creating the space
To chase its prescribed destiny
To become more light
A mass of cells, pulsing
In the process of recreating
Itself over and over, that first beam
Illuminating a million microscopic stars
An infinity of light, and a new definition
Of what it means to shine.
Form emerges, fully familiar
yet never seen before or since.
Surprisingly, unpredictably human
Curled tight and warm inside the womb
Nodding along with the nearby heart
Beating for them both, preparing
For the coming separation
The light undeniable
Reaching to the cosmos
Announcing its manifestation
In language older than time or space
The universe shifts, aligns itself
In reverence and obedience,
Projecting through one single star…
Time centers around the light
The darkening of what was before
Contrast for the emerging radiance.
The hearts inside unjoin and beat
Each on their own at last, but bonded
Beyond the span of flesh and blood,
Beyond everything and always
The definition of eternity
The bursting of the boundaries
The cries of the transition, the joyous
Weeping at the sight of what the light has made.
Love made flesh, suckled at the thankful breast
Light made life, immaculate and pure
The stars bow, and fix their positions
In preparation to guide the journey,
Blessed to participate.
Merry Christmas.
May the light shine forever on your house and on the homes of those you love.
May the stars point you always to your best destiny.
May the infant Christ’s smile be in your heart
Illuminating your life from the inside out.
Love, always
Fran and Gary
