(for Mom and Donna from Jan on Kauai)

•••

Deep peace of the running wave to you
Deep peace of the flowing air to you
Deep peace of the quiet earth to you
Deep peace of the shining stars to you
Deep peace of the gentle night to you
Moon and stars pour their healing light on you…

—from “A Gaelic Blessing,” choral arrangement
by John Rutter, 1978

•••

Now I walk in the running wave
as it sweeps my ankles,

warm ocean embracing my calves,
as flowing air sends droplets

to dot my face, as my bare feet
sink into sand, while overhead

the universe prepares its nightly
sky show over the Pacific—

moon two days past full against
a sparkling backdrop of stars,

plus Saturn, Jupiter and Mars,
winking jewels in the dark.

All this I send across the sea,
deep peace of this place to you,

mother and sister who made me—
mahalo nui loa—

me.

•••

Words from William Sharp’s 1895 novel,
“The Dominion of Dreams: Under the Dark Star”

You can hear the Cambridge Singers perform “Deep Peace” here.