Under Ideal Conditions by Al Zolynas
Say in the flattest part of North Dakota,
on a starless moonless night,
no breath of wind,
a man could light a candle
then walk away.
Every now and then
he could turn and see
the candle burning.
Seventeen miles later,
provided conditions remained ideal,
he could still see the flame.
Somewhere between the seventeenth and eighteenth mile
he would lose the light.
If he were walking backwards
he would know the exact moment
when he lost the flame,
he could step forward and find it again,
back and forth,
dark to light, light to dark.
What’s the place where the light disappears?
where the light reappears?
Don’t tell me about photons
and eyeballs,
reflection and refraction.
Don’t tell me about one hundred and eighty-six thousand miles per second and the theory of relativity.
All I know is that place,
where the light appears and disappears,
that’s the place where we live.
This poem by Al Zolynas seems appropriate when there is so much to cause us concern this new year, from the ever present threat of global warming to the dreadful wars in both Israel and Ukraine, not to mention the endless conflict in Iraq and Yemen. It seems there is much mankind is getting wrong at the moment. But, of course, it is in the nature of the news that we are not given many positive demonstrations of human compassion and kindness – they don’t make good headlines.
It seems to me that we don’t always get the choice to move into the light; for some poor people darkness has been thrust upon them. However, for every act of compassion, for every expression of kindness, we can draw people into that light a little further. We may not be able to address the global and national worries, our power tends to begin and end at the ballot box (though Greta Thunberg proved the power of a placard), but we can bring a little more compassion and a little more kindness and so allow someone else to step into the light.
As I say at the end of a baptism ‘Walk in that light all the days of your life to the glory of God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.’ Indeed this is the light we celebrate at Candlemas on 4th February in the churches of our benefice.
Wishing you all a happy, peaceful and healthy New Year.
William