Julia Fehrenbacher: "What I've Learned from the Dark"

It seems we must be stripped
of the skin
of all we think beautiful
before we open to the kind of beauty
that can't go away.
It seems sky must pour
and howl like it will never stop
before we notice the smile
of our own forever sun. It seems
we must hunt with starving
hungry eyes before we know
this belly is and has always been
full. It seems this wall
deep in the center must be hammered down
before we let soft, breathing hands
curl in around us. Each drop
of dark carries
with it a candle of holy
light—with each miracle breath
we are invited to turn toward
the nearest whispering spark
and, like momma bird sheltering her baby—like a pebble
in stream's safe lap—
listen

"What I've Learned from the Dark" by Julia Fehrenbacher. Published here via poet submission. © Julia Fehrenbacher.

Art credit: Untitled image by unknown photographer (originally color).