A Defiant Nevertheless

There are corners to my body,
Elbows, knees, groin, heart-
Places where things settle,
Stomach, liver, kidney, mind-

These angles dark, these edges harsh
When in the weary night i
Suddenly am set upon light
I see, briefly, the scurrying things
Settling out to places
Hard to reach, hard to clean

And how long this last night lasted
How tiresome the mornings long delay
And the moths, the mice--all
Things skittering and gibbering
That which wakes me stupidly
In the night
Filling me with anxious terror
Keeps me stillborn in bed
Not knowing what was dreamed
And what was real
This collection of errors
Drawn by the cold dry darkness
Of a soul asleep
Have gathered in the deep places
And feed off forgotten grace

But there is a morning
When the sunrise shatters the windows
Is seen through the blind
A light so terrible and bright
It makes a sound like a trumpet
A mystery more fearsome than my corners
Laying every angle straight

In the light of the day
I turn at last to my corners and gently say,
"Now i am awake and unafraid."

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love,
luke