11.29.2011

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