12/21/2025
On this, the longest night,
may we pause.
May we release
the scars we carry,
the wounds we have held too long.
May we remember
that even in darkness,
light softly awaits,
gentle, patient, unwavering.
May we, like bare trees, remain open,
limbs outstretched to the sky,
letting the wind move through us
as a quiet hymn.
May it sing of endings,
whisper of beginnings,
reminding us that every night folds
into morning,
and every heart can rise again.
May we bend toward the light.
May the dark teach us patience.
May hope root deep,
so when the sun returns,
we bloom, breathe, awaken.
May we trust that tonight, though hushed,
the world is not empty.
It holds a tender promise,
of warmth yet to come,
of hearts yet to mend,
of days yet to be born.
~Mary Anne Byrne