Reaching for Light in Times of Darkness

Inspired by the Images from the James Webb Telescope

When this world becomes too much,
with its barrage of news of cruelty,
and I’ve done all that is within my power to change,
I stretch my arms out to the universe,
and let myself be drawn into the beauty
of far-off galaxies,
images that are sent back to earth
from the space telescope wandering around the sun.
I lose myself in the brilliance of the nebulae
that are light years away,
where stars begin and end their lives in the dust of space.
The vivid colors dance across the cosmos,
unconstrained by the pettiness of humankind,
for we are mere specks in the grand design.
And yet, I must shine my light, too,
in this place that I call home.