Father of Lights

Father of Lights

Ancient One, 

whose memories reach

so deep through time they touch

the utter present

Who could have guessed how very young you are my Father?

no one can get younger than these photons leaping at me,

how kindergarten the rainbow!

how playful are all ears!

see, each white snowflake falls so open-hearted, open-palmed;

touch, only ‘babysoft’ describes the gosling downbelly.

how plucking-puckering new is this lime-bright gooseberry!
how snappy, zippy are the ultraviolet orchid and horseradish!

a ripe peach requires indecorum.
Highly lacking in gravity are the hummingbird's green?-buzz-purple? feathers!

it's childishly rash of you to strew so many fisheggs and stars;

"innocence" echoes "comfort" off each purr.

how brashly brazen are you about things Big and Blue!

at summer noon the pond so freshens flesh;

at summer eve the ocean breeze breathes life.
all music bubbles pure from your pure springs;

And who but you the shepherd with the alto voice that sings,

"little antlered one, little belling one, melodious little bleater,

sweet I think the lowing that you make in the glen,"*

so mild are its eyes, offspring of your heart's mildness;

You are the Alpha of all little ones.

i realize now that only children spring forth from your nature:

they, seeing you are like them, call you Father,

hence your name;

the meek, through family likeness, have inheritance.

So original the place of your will

that your first Word is still being heard for the very first time:

Orderer of praise from budding infant lips;
Ordainer of new-born adults who leap for joy

Refractor of orange-pink sunset cloudfire, Chemist of

surprising firefly lights, Inventor of angel and of

pinetree aureoles; Painter of neon deepsea fish

glow, Fount of purple nova-dust light,

Idea before each moonlit lake

wavelight, Genius of

glowing-skin-at-dawn

light; Maker of liquid

earth-heart lava light, and

Smith of smelted-sword light;

you're the Spark of shocking lightening lights,

Infuser of the light in mists; Source of hot white starlight,

Creator of eyelit eye-to-eye lights, Author of that brightest light inside the yellow leaves:

Begetter

of your perfect likeness (light from light)

who at ease was tiny in a maiden's womb;

whose body's first need was his mother's breast;

that boy so simple-minded, to forget to follow home;

that man so puerile, honestly! to strip and don a towel and kneel down - - !

My Father,

i assumed you dim & distant in your age

and me likewise decrepit in my fear, weakness, & harms.

let's both scorn it together!

oh, how bright is the love in your old old old arms

*12th Century Celtic, trans. Jackson