after Mary Oliver’s The Sun
slide out of blackness
        slip into greyness
        away from nimbostratus
but not quite there yet
        saunter into rising hills
        away from drifting fog 
but not quite seeing the crest
        skip along that mountain ridge
        toward the viewpoint
but not quite there yet
        glide into sunshine
        toward that epitastic vision
but not quite feeling that peak
        until Shen and Universe coalesce
        expanding your clarity
        that fantastic epiphany 
        under your skin
Stephanie Ross (she/her) is a Ren Xue Yuan Qigong teacher and Vancouver Island poet. Her writing has appeared in Surging Tide, Passionfruit Review, RXA Qiblog, Quail Bell, Roses & Wildflowers, and The 2023 Poetry Marathon Anthology. Her life cultivation practice inspires her writing. Connect with her: www.stephanierossauthor.com