Pearls of Illumination
By John Herlihy

Pearls and their soft glow sit against silky skin,
Blushing orbs of light without blemish or sin.
Humble in their projection; proud in their perfection,
To them nothing can compare; they have no next of kin.

Countless constellations of stars falling around us from the sky,
Winking of their presence without giving us the reason why.
Waves of photons writing down mysteries in cursive light,
Across the velvet drape of the heavens that we call the night.

The moon as though carved in the darkness by a skilled hand,
Never completed, never still, sometimes lost in night’s quicksand.
But when it appears in full array on the lip of earth’s edge,
It fills a crack in my heart with its beam as a supportive wedge.

The lightning flashes ancient swords, deaf and dumb as a mute,
Finding its place in the community of stars as a brazen brute,
Terrorizing people here on earth with its electrifying flare,
Stirring shock and awe in our heart nearly impossible to bear.

The Milky Way shines majestically in the darkness of night,
With all the strength and purpose of bird’s wings in flight.
The mystery of the night is shattered with this impervious light,
Reaching the span of the earth’s horizon with its pathway to insight.

Nearby there is always you, the brightest star in my firmament,
To remember you shows me the way and offers contentment.
Your breath, your scent, your spirit drives away all resentment,
Waiting patiently for your arrival inspires dreams of enchantment.

Light needs no explanation and goes by no other name;
In the outer reaches of deep space, light stakes its claim.
Light cannot be separated and glows in a universal prism;
Blessing people of the world with its enlightening wisdom.