(from Barry Cornwall, 19 century)
"Oh, the Summer Night
Has a smile of light,
And she sits on a sapphire throne..."
Every summer, the above lines return to my mind, imprinted very early in my life (probably from a high school English class), reminding me of the beauty of night in summer. Until I left for college, summer nights were a time of freedom and play, of long outdoor discussions with friends, of ocean moons and mysterious shooting stars. These words echoed again this week, when I realized how little I have ventured out at night during the Pandemic--mainly, errands in my car. Night does bring relief to the extreme heat of this summer, but postponing errands until sunset because of heat doesn't really touch the level of the power of a summer night. Luckily, the city here is offering movies in the park--and the poem pushed me to grab a camp chair and hike to the show. The evening was a throwback to simpler times, with families lounging on blankets in the grass, a few night picnics, crying babies, children at chase and elders in...camp chairs--a lovely evening, but the greatest part was my walk home with a flashlight and a renewed communion with night.
In his classic analysis of Indian thought, S. Radhakrishnan (Indian Philosophy, Volume I, pg. 138) quotes an ancient Buddhist proverb: "Long to the watcher is the night, To the weary wand'rer along the road, To him who will not see truth's light, Long is the torment of his chain of births." This is a jarring turn away from my night adventure! It is a reminder that many religious teachings, including early Christianity, with it's eagerness for the world's end in Christ's return, have seen life on earth as "torment". A key defining point of individual spirituality is our answer to the question: do we see earthly life as a treasure or a curse?
Night is often associated with the absence of spiritual Light, or a time of spiritual struggle, when we no longer fit in with the worldly pursuits of society, but have yet to come into a state of spiritual Peace and Acceptance. Night is the unconscious, imperceptible workings of God within. Beyond these spiritual metaphors, night is a gift and full of life that is different from day, even though we sleep. Take this week to discover it's wonder and beauty. I trust the power of night. (Susan Nettleton)
"Keep going; never stop; sit tight;
Read something luminous at night.”
Edmund Wilson Jr. (20th century) Night poetry, follow the links: https://poets.org/poem/evening-3