Poetry: Darkness and Light

Over the past few months I have been looking forward to and planning a Ladies Retreat. Last weekend finally came and what an honor it was to lead beautiful women in a couple of days of refreshment at Lake Ontario. I chose the theme of LIGHT. The idea hit me when I was putting away our Christmas tree lights and I was sad to see the lovely sparkly lights leave our living room. Light is such a meaningful part of LIFE. Springtime in the north brings more light and WOW what a difference it makes. We all feel so much more alive with more light in our days. Here are two poems I wrote for our first session to help visualize the difference light can make in darkness. This was a fun exerecise! I started with the Darkness poem and tried to paint with words what a dark path is like. Then, I wrote Light and it is almost the same poem but I changed just a few things to convey the difference light makes. 

Darkness

Walking home 

Down a dark path

Cold fingers, toes, cheeks

Wind cutting 

My thin coat

Fear filling

My mind

No light anywhere

Stepping slowly

Feeling

My way

Shadows shift

Black tree limbs

Reach to 

Grab, trip, push me

Down into the dirt

I see a house

Dark shadow 

Black sky

Tripping on steps

Grabbing icy doorknob

Opening

Searching

No light

Only 

Cold

Empty

Silence

Hunger

Darkness

Light

Walking down

A dark path

Cold fingers, toes, cheeks

Wind cutting

Thin coat

Fear filling my mind

Wait!

My flashlight!

Pulling it out of my pocket

Shining on every step

Shoulders relax

Calmly

Forward 

I walk

Frosted tree limbs

Sparkle in

Smallest ray

Beauty everywhere

I see a house

Dark shadow

Black sky but,

A candle in the window

Reaches out 

Welcoming

Tripping up steps

Grabbing icy doorknob

Opening

Searching

Fire crackles

Orange flames glow

Warmth fills the kitchen

Candles on the table 

Burning brightly

Baking bread smells like

Home in the soft

Light