Night lays down its velvet veil, stars like votives, steady, far; Paula breathes the sacred hush— the world a liturgy of star.
Sunrays spill like consecration, golden incense on fern and stone; wildflowers crown the narrow path— violet, marigold, and bone-white alone.
A deer pauses, temple-still, its velvet antlers haloed bright; a breeze rehearses ancient psalms, and leaves applaud with filtered light.
In that cathedral, earth and sky conspire to bless her passing year; each heartbeat is a psalm of green, each smile the sacrament of cheer.
At the meadow’s edge the river speaks in syllables of glass and song; Paula listens, offering thanks— the current carries it along.
Candles made of pollen glow on mushrooms like a quiet throng; bees compose a low Requiem, then dance the verses of the sun.
In a hush of dawn the forest wakes, light braided through cathedral leaves; soft hymns of robins stitch the air, and every blade of grass believes.