Nur
by Ryan Keating
Turkish has a word for inner light,
not just photons or fuel
on fire in stars outside,
neither wave nor particle—
a peace
reflected in faces of people
and refracted into every shade
divine and
illuminating spaces of darkness.
The twisting of my path conceals the sun
as it sets,
the turning of planets,
the closing of a door.
And unheavenly bodies within
are set to eclipse the light.
I will them retrograde and pray
God will order orbits
to let there be light.
Ryan Keating pastors Fellowship Church in Middletown, Connecticut. He lived and worked in Turkey and Cyprus for many years with his family. His work can be found in publications such as Christianity Today, Fare Forward, Roi Fainéant, and Funicular. He is pursuing a PhD in Philosophy of Religion at the University of Cambridge. His chapbook, “A Dance In Medias Res” is now available from Wipf and Stock.