Nine Ways of Looking at Darkness

-Based off of Wallace Stevens’ poem ‘Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird’

1

Among the darkness

A single light

Shines through the night

2

I looked into the mirror

And was consumed

By the darkness

3

A human and light

Are one.

A human and light and darkness

Are one.

4

I do not know which the reality is,

The mind

Or the heart,

The darkness growling

Or just dreams.

5

Madness roared through the minds

The shadow of darkness flickered,

To and fro.

Light struggling

In the shadow

An unattainable victory.

6

Men of the light

Why do you condemn darkness?

Do you not see how darkness

Dances in time with light?

7

I know beautiful handiworks

And exotic, liberated patterns

But I know, too,

That darkness watches us

In the corner.

8

At the sight of darkness

Slithering about in the shadows,

Even the purest of Angels

Would become tainted.

9

The sun shone all day

And it was going to shine all night.

Darkness slept

In our hearts.