RAVEN NIGHT by BethAnne Kapansky Wright

This poem was inspired by several things:

First, my heart ache and heart longing for the need of and call for love, peace and change in this world. There is so much darkness that has been brought into the light this past season for all of us, I wish to raise my own candle as high as I can and continue to shine bright in whatever ways I've been gifted.

Second, the loss of my brother and this strange, odd journey of grief that has been this past year of my life. As the holidays arrive and the year anniversary draws near, I am aware that part of my soul is exhausted from the footsteps of these past 11 months, even as part of my soul continues to wake up and fully step into the Love I wish to be and see in this place.

Last, the backdrop of an Alaskan winter, which always conjures forth imagery of starlight, midnight, and crisp, snow-tipped days. Since I am leaving Alaska in June for the warm shores of Kauai, I am trying to embrace all the gifts of one last arctic season. And while I don't believe I will miss the cold, there are beautiful gifts of sky and dark and light that come this time of year, which I have tried to weave into the words below.

This is a unique time for all of us. A time to step more fully into the best of who we believe we can be. A time to love others and put our arms around each other and offer words of kindness, compassion and understanding. A time for each of us- in our own individual ways and with our own individual callings- to learn to be a friend in darkness and shine our lights of change into this space of raven night. 

Raven Night

by BethAnne Kapansky Wright

I would like to be a friend in the darkness

a herald of hope in the black

of a raven night

to stand tall underneath 

a starless sky and shine bright with the stars

in my eyes.

I would like to take this love I hold inside,

toss it out in careless,care-filled, fistfuls-

let it be my greatest currency,

let it defy the labels that put us in our place,

let it become my construct whose only bounds 

is grace.

I would like to rest upon the frozen of the earth,

put my heart in hibernation

'til it's no longer weary from care

let winter's sleep become

my absolution.

my resolution.

my reconciliation.

from the grief that still aches to bear.

But the moon has begun to wax again,

tilts her dark of face towards snow spilled sky

and tells me sleeping beauty must wake from the cold,

learn to be 

the spark,

the flame,

the fire,

that shows the way back to light.

I would like to shine into the shadows

be the change for better ways,

be everyone and everything

as I am you and you are me

this connection we all are-

can you hear it thrumming in the heartbeat of these days?

Calling us towards Love and Light beneath the cold cheek

of a hope-filled raven night. 

(Find more of Beth's inspiring poetry in her new book freebird fridays)

BethAnne Kapansky Wright: I am a Clinical Psychologist who enjoys writing, illustrating and creating. I specialize in dealing with women's issues, life transitions, trauma, grief work, and finding healing in our relationships, especially our relationship with our self. I am a big believer in authenticity, intuition, the power of love, finding laughter and joy, and learning to be more fully human. My essays and poetry have been published in a variety of publications, and I am the author of the poetry books Cranberry Dusk and Freebird Fridays (November 2016, Golden Dragonfly Press). I currently lives in Anchorage, Alaska with my soul mate and our fur kids and my beloved mountains and trails. I can be found on Facebook or on my blog: Sunshine in Winter, here. 

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