Dark?

Margaret V.Doran

For children who cried
because
they were afraid of
the Dark
I used to tell them
(while the lights were on)
"Shut your eyes tight."

"Now," I’d ask, "What do you see?"
"Nothing," they replied
"And are you afraid?"
"No."
"Then you see,
there is nothing to be afraid of
in the dark."

But I didn’t tell them
my secret:
that when I shut my eyes tight,
I see EVERYTHING
I see the iris of my eye
from the inside
a glowing iris with imperfections
an eye-print with a black pupil
in the middle
I see the map-like trail
of orange-red arteries
etched on the globe
and the checkerboard pattern
of endless, swirling puzzles
My mind’s eye sees bubbles
joining, moving, disappearing
in endless kaleidoscope patterns
for beneath my lids exist
the most glorious, nameless lights
against black velvet.

Copyright © 1997 Margaret V. Doran. All rights reserved.

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Updated July 1, 1999
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