GRACE OF NIGHT by BethAnne Kapansky Wright

I wrote this poem recently while I was visiting the always-beautiful Oregon coast…

It emerged as I woke up in the middle of the night and was inspired to go sit outside beneath the black sky and crash of the ocean. Beneath the thick of that night sky, I was awed by the beautiful scents and sounds of the beach- their gifts all the more heightened and clear, because of the dark.

These words are a reflection on how our relationship with nature informs our own sense of belonging in this world. It is impossible to sit by the scope of the ocean and not feel small and amazed by its greatness: I am reminded of how large the world is and how little I am. And yet, I am given a place here. Just like the tides and the seas and the grains of sand- just like each one of us- I have been given a place here at this particular point in time, which continues to reaffirm my own sense of belonging to this world.

Nature has many sacred gifts to offer us, when we take the time to listen and open ourselves up to receiving them. On this particular night, under a blanket of shadow and stars, I was reminded that our presence here- this opportunity to be part of this gorgeous world and partake in the offering of life- is perhaps Life's greatest grace.

Grace of Night

by BethAnne Kapansky Wright

I would let it 

wash over me- 

this grace of night. 

Even when it wakes 

me and asks me to 

come sit in shadow

and starlight and 

remember, this

darkness too, is 

what it means 

to be human.

I would let it 

flow through me-

this grace of tide. 

Even as it pulls 

then retreats… 

reminding me 

life is an ever

changing waltz

of ebb and flow.

I would let it 

surround me- 

this grace of sea. 

Even as she storms 

with magnificent
swells, I know my

place and know: 

There are forces 

larger than I here. 

It is okay to rest 

in their presence.

I would let it 

be part of me- 

this grace of life. 

Even as I sit awed, 

under the humbling 

gaze of raven sky, 

in all my ineptitudes 

and beauty of being, 

I have been given 

a place here.

I belong to this
time and space.

BethAnne Kapansky: I am a Clinical Psychologist enjoying life from my tiny corner of Anchorage, Alaska. I love writing personal essays, composing quirky poetry, and creating whimsical art. I can often be found on top of the nearest mountain or running through the trails of my beloved woods with my little white dog who has the legs of a gazelle and mighty heart of a lion. My work has been published in The Elephant Journal and When Women Waken and used in collaboration with a local dance company to create performance art. I am inspired by nature, rainbows, cake, hearts, the power of women, the thousand faces of love, and the beautiful journey of becoming more fully human. I can be found on Facebook or on my blog: Sunshine in Winter, here.

~If you are interested in seeing your poetry appear in this blog, or submitting a poem by a woman that has inspired you, please click here for submission guidelines. I greatly look forward to hearing from you!~

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