Overshadowed

Six days later, Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart, by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his clothes became dazzling white, such as no one on earth could bleach them. And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses, who were talking with Jesus. Then Peter said to Jesus, “Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; let us make three dwellings, one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” He did not know what to say, for they were terrified. Then a cloud overshadowed them, and from the cloud there came a voice, “This is my Son, the Beloved; listen to him!” Suddenly when they looked around, they saw no one with them any more, but only Jesus.
As they were coming down the mountain, he ordered them to tell no one about what they had seen, until after the Son of Man had risen from the dead. So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning what this rising from the dead could mean. Then they asked him, “Why do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” He said to them, “Elijah is indeed coming first to restore all things. How then is it written about the Son of Man, that he is to go through many sufferings and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come, and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written about him.” Mark 9:2-13 

Overshadowed

There are days when no clouds come
when the light is perfect the air soft
most days are a mix of cloud and light
exact clarity is surely hard to find.

We glimpse now as through guaze
hoping to understand before long
the light and shadow refine and refract
rarely defining, more rarely explaining.

Sometimes we find ourselves standing
on the shoulders of faithful giants
some days we sink into holes we have dug
never seeing daylight or hearing birdsong.

We must cling to the images of love
focus on the delights and joys we have
there is a downside to every mountaintop
real living requires us to work and pray.