Glory be to God for light obscured, deflected, refracted
for fern leaves
carefully caned rocking chair lattice
and summer breeze pulsing light into substance

by the swaying, splayed spectacle 
of shadows on bland carpet
my own shape stretches starkly before me

and the warmth making its home in my sweater and skin and sinew
journeyed an atmosphere-piercing
93 million miles
to settle in this silence with me

flame burning through cobwebs and fern leaves and skin
till I see clearly 
the sacrament of all that is thinly veiled
the substance of light 
and my shadow

This poem was inspired by the sunlight shining through fern leaves and the lattice of an antique rocker beside me as I stretched in the warmth. I wanted to capture the way the light plays with what obscures it and creates substance and warmth wherever it reaches. This is a poem of praise to God for making us embodied creatures with skin and bones, eyes and nerves to receive the world.

AMANDA BRINDLEY

Amanda lives in Southwest Ohio, where she works 9-5 in a local bookstore warehouse while dabbling in many creative endeavors--writing children's books, poetry, and creative non-fiction, watercoloring, drawing, baking and gardening. She loves connecting deeply with people, laughing and adventuring with her friends, hiking, and recommending Leif Enger's latest novel, Virgil Wander.