Heather Lende, Alaska's previous Writer Laureate, shares a poem read on a cold, dark night during a dinner with friends.

Also known as A Grace before Dinner this poem appeared as part of a pair alongside A Grace after Meat. Neither were included in the 1793 Edinburgh edition, but later resurfaced in Dr James Currie ...

You can say grace before, during, and after a meal. The custom, however, is typically adhered to pre-mealtime. But how exactly is grace said, and what are its spiritual—and physiological—benefits?