Poem Book

The Dark

I keep my eyes closed

because it's better than seeing

the darkness that surrounds

that swallows me whole.

I am aware that the darkness is fear

and that there is nothing to be afraid of,

but I still shut my eyes

till I see anything but dark,

and see anything that isn't fear.

One day, tired from straining to keep my eyes closed

I see a light switch next to me

something I have never noticed before.

Maybe because my eyes have always been shut.

I decide to put my fears aside,

and to reach through the darkness that I once dared not touch

and I touch the switch.

Light so bright and brilliant

I am forced to shield my eyes,

but once I settle

I realize there was nothing to be afraid of.

In the darkness,

in this small room that once had me petrified from fear

stood nothing.

Maybe I was wrong,

and fear didn't have to control me

because once you get past that first jump,

even if you feel like falling off a cliff,

no matter how many times you have to do it,

that you can look back and see it wasn't all that bad

and the fear that once had you sitting petrified in a dark room,

was really just your own imagination.