An Enlightening Darkness

"I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear." ~ Nelson Mandela

* * * * * * *

The dimming candles are flickering light fixtures

Shadows dance across the walls

Only the brave acknowledge the mixture

The thought tosses & turns in my mind

I roll over in bed, close my eyes

& lose sight of courage

* * * * * * * 

I awake to darkness
Burned out candles

My room, reverberating 

With a crescendo of impending doom

Illuminated by the lunar light

From a crescent moon

It is night

* * * * * * *

I awake to light
Twisting inside through the foggy bay windows

Doubt rises with the sun...

But after some time, the rays burn the haze away
& it all becomes clear

My dreams from the night, now in sight

This is my day

* * * * * * *

The fear of failure

To get it all right

Is quite all right

Fear and bravery

Day and night

Only the brave acknowledge the mixture

* * * * * * *

I step outside
& look up at the sky to find
That in the bright blue hue of noon

The sun's shine was combined with the lunar light

Of that same crescent moon

Make the most of those sleepless nights that turn into mornings
Light up the darkness