Facts of Life: Winter
December, when so many religions
converge, the season of hocus pocus,
and all the various potentates dress up
with their jewelry, funny hats, and robes. It’s
consoling to remember that, no matter
how many fictitious saints’ bones we
may kiss, the northern hemisphere
is just tilting gently away from the sun for
a while until, as we orbit, the tilt
faces the light again, bringing
warmth and new growth and love and
maybe, some days, even hope.
All the gods and all the miracles are
matters of faith, of course, and they
may bring comfort to some, but the billions
of galaxies and trillions of microbes,
the optic nerve and the orcas,
the roots of trees and the giant squids,
the wonders of the winds and waves,
these are matters of fact on our tiny
planet hurtling through the void
in our brief visit,
enough to keep us stunned,
grateful, hungry for more.
—Gary Tapp