Today I wish to offer more than just a glimmer of hope to all of us, but especially to two friends in the shape of two poems that are not mine, and various glimmering photos.

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But first, a little riddle for all of you. What is this that I captured last night if I promise you that it’s not a virus? The answer will be revealed at the end.

The first man is Patrick Jennings, the host of this challenge, who right about now is travelling from Arizona back home to Vancouver by car. Today’s second and final leg of his travel will take him almost twelve hours. I wish him happy homecoming.

The first poem was recently written by Nadine Anne Hura from Aotearoa, New Zealand. (She posted it on Facebook.) I’m quite certain not only Patrick will like it.

Rest now, e Papatūānuku
Breathe easy and settle
Right here where you are
We’ll not move upon you
For awhile
We’ll stop, we’ll cease
We’ll slow down and stay home
Draw each other close and be kind
Kinder than we’ve ever been.
I wish we could say we were doing it for you
as much as ourselves
But hei aha
We’re doing it anyway
It’s right. It’s time.
Time to return
Time to remember
Time to listen and forgive
Time to withhold judgment
Time to cry
Time to think
About others
Remove our shoes
Press hands to soil
Sift grains between fingers
🍃 Gentle palms
Time to plant
Time to wait
Time to notice
To whom we belong
For now it’s just you
And the wind
And the forests and the oceans and the sky full of rain
Finally, it’s raining!
Ka turuturu te wai kamo o Rangi ki runga i a koe
Embrace it
This sacrifice of solitude we have carved out for you
He iti noaiho – a small offering
People always said it wasn’t possible
To ground flights and stay home and stop our habits of consumption
But it was
It always was.
We were just afraid of how much it was going to hurt
– and it IS hurting and it will hurt and continue to hurt
But not as much as you have been hurt.
So be still now
Wrap your hills around our absence
Loosen the concrete belt cinched tight at your waist
Rest.
Breathe.
Recover.
Heal –
And we will do the same.

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Before we have a look at the other man and the other poem, a little teaser regarding my riddle. No, it’s not a lamp. Neither am I pregnant, as was my sister’s first guess. 😀

The second man’s name is Olly Crick and today he celebrates his grand birthday as if in company with organic roast and prosecco, enjoying a slower pace of life.

I already shared with you his poem that he wrote about my blog. And then he wrote another, about the black square that Patrick chose for his Pic and a Word challenge two weeks ago. He posted it in a comment to my Untaken is taken post for this challenge.

Here it is. By Olly Crick:

there will be birds who, known to show
the tricks of flight to passers by,
may land again
in your black square
but not today.

there will be pelicans, beaks too full
of history books and verse,
who will offload
in your black square,
but not today

there will be cameras and friends,
peach trees, gnocchi, and rough wine
laid on benches
in your black square
but not today

there is anger, tempered by good sense
that holds the future and its treats
in store,
that holds the tricks of flight
beakfulls of joy and such like fun,
as toys to wait for from saint nick,
and as the sun heads for its summer
we will wait for christmas,
with hope
in our black square.

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Thank you so much, Olly! Here are some photos that you have loved through the years. Happy birthday and many more, and thank you for all the verse!

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And finally, the grand reveal. The mystery object is not the moon but the small dot on the right. And apparently, it’s Venus. My point-and-shoot that you see above can be a telescope.

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In response to Patrick Jennings’ Pic and a Word Challenge #225: Glimmer