We sat silently that night,
Until the first light
appeared in the amber sky
Until it proclaimed –
Without a shadow –
our hope.

We headed south that night.
Ice remained our companion,
Floated beside us, never melting,
These fickle rocks
Of indulgence and comfort.

“Keep your eyes on the sky.”
Your voice broke the quiet,
Shattered the sound of waves slapping against our ship.

As I watched that sky,
I knew
This vessel was not battered,
Like all the others had been before,
All those which had swept us ashore.

More and more and more
Light appeared,
Tiny diamonds in the northern sky.
One after another
They made us smile.

“I want to give you diamonds,” you said.
And, as if crafting them yourself,
One by one, just for me, as I kept my eyes on that sky,
You forged precious jewels,
From dust and light and love – made real and priceless hope for us –
That night, when we sailed the ocean.

Genesis 1:16
And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. (ESV)

(Photos and Prose, ©2026 Heidi Viars)