Contributor: Kimberly Anderson

- -
As dusk falls on the smallest day,
Make your den in the dark.
Hunker down.
Make no sudden moves.
You are safe.
Look inward for your light,
Focus, hold it still, look closer, don't let it go.
It's yours.
Find peace in the night.
Nobody's watching.
Shed your clothing, affectation and
assumptions,
Your past, decisions and dreams,
Your self,
And especially the reins
Of expectations, exploitations and control
You've given up.
Be naked and nothing.
Block out the noise and the clamor.
Don't let anyone or anything in.
Focus on the light in the dark.

The sun is baked in you.
You are nothing but stardust embodied in your
Precious bones and flesh and blood and nerves
In organic harmony.
You are a galaxy, totality, divinity, forever,
Until you die, and time and the world end.
Compress your energy into focus.
Fold into your chrysalis.
Paint your future, yourself,
The structures that support you,
The love that feels you,
The bits that bring you joy.
Frame it.
Shine your light there.

When you are ready,
Stretch from head to toe,
Break your shell and emerge
From the dark, naked and lovely.
As the noise of the world and other people
Ping your corneas and your eardrums,
Keep walking toward your vision.
As the sun shines brighter and brighter,
You will see.
Open your eyes, ears and mouth
To what you don't want to see, hear and say,
Though you must, bravely and kindly.
Grow smarter and stronger.
Keep going.
As you become overwhelmed, remember:
The darkness will return
With the time to be naked and free again.


- - -