This year I do not want the dark to leave me. I need its wrap of silent stillness, its cloak of long lasting embrace. Too much light has pulled me away from the chamber of gestation. Let the dawns come late, let the sunsets arrive early, let the evenings extend themselves while I lean into the abyss of my being. Let me lie in the cave of my soul, for too much light blinds me, steals the source of revelation. Let me seek solace in the empty places of winter’s passage, those vast dark nights that never fail to shelter me. 'Winter Cloak' by Joyce Rupp Artist - Amanda Clark