Amidst the usual evening business,

there was a moment of golden light,

when all the chaos of messy meals—

my baby climbing out of her high chair,

little chubby limbs besmeared with mango

and requiring yet another bath,

as the phone rang and the water boiled,

and the seven-year-old pontificated

on the merits of trampolines

vs slip and slides for summer safety—

all this ceased to grab my attention,

which was caught by the light of a far-off star,

speeding across millions of miles of space

to gaze at me on my porch this evening,

a glowing orange ball

peeking through the dark fir trees.

I paused to gaze back.

My daughter sped around the porch

on her running bike,

her tongue running fast as her feet

to describe her tricks in real time

—but I had stepped out,

and was steeped in golden light—

“I am here, all along; I am here,”

spoke the universe calmly,

all its diverse particles coming together

to deliver me this caress of beauty

from the halls of eternity.