Getting the Darkness Out of Our Systems
The world takes its turn away from us at night.
Night is difficult. It hurts. We hide from
its darkness. Drag light toward us, slosh it everywhere.
The window plays mirror, shows us the faces
we make. Beyond our transparent selves,
the yard, the empty street. We send our
vacancy out into the darkened world.
We doubt the things we own. That looks like
our car. Is the gate closed?
Lack of light unites the things swimming in it,
all slumped shapes, all shut doors.
It leaks into closets and under beds,
a bog beneath us, rising.
Children locate creatures here, in the dark,
in the places that promise disappearance.
We knew to fear it even then.
I especially like opening and your concluding lines.
ReplyDelete"We doubt the things we own." So true. And then there are the night noises.
ReplyDeleteI always like the end, this time my favorite lines are in the middle...and then, there are the kitties who like the dark...I have developed some night vision because of them xoxo
ReplyDeleteVery nice. My favorite sentence was, "We send our vacancy out into the darkened world."
ReplyDeleteI've always been a little afraid of the dark. Sometimes a lot afraid. You describe well my trepidation at not being able to see.
ReplyDeletebeautifully written... although I love night... it's my time for ideas, creation, quiet & happiness... xx
ReplyDeletethea.
I think you might like the book "Let There Be Night".
ReplyDeleteHi Hannah, I don't mind the night, but your poem definitely captures the trepidation, when we can't quite distinguish what we are seeing, or separate purity from potential evil. I also like: "We send our vacancy out into the darkened world," and "We knew to fear it even then."
ReplyDeletelove this one - so true!
ReplyDelete