A Blessing Poem

The peace of loneliness be with you

The peace of the far-from-home

The peace of small things intricately woven

like those moments in time that come

out of nowhere small and bright and eternal

The peace of loneliness be with you

and the patience of the stranger

who would not be known too soon

The peace of warm fires and sudden silences

and small gifts willingly given

and the peace of birds across a strange sky

singing in the early morning

and the peace of lakes and hidden ponds

and small streams silvering a hidden meadow

The peace of those who walk alone

knowing that in the heart of loneliness

their true home is hidden

waiting for that moment of silence and truth

in which to reveal itself

The peace of loneliness be with you

The peace of corner booths in coffee shops

by highways a thousand miles from home

The peace of old fabric and ancient wood

and the peace of stone which knows only itself

The peace of churches and silent houses

and the peace of grass newly mown

The peace of loneliness be with you

The peace of starlight on a distant road

The peace of trees and small animals beneath the ground

The peace of all creatures far from home

The peace of loneliness be with you

for in your loneliness you are not alone

-Albert Huffstickler