Darkness

The darkness, it’s blinding
The lantern I carry grows heavy
The light flickers, but only casts its glow to the ground under my feet
I follow the lantern through the darkness
Finding nothing
Nothing that resembles what I search for
I’ve never seen what I search for, but will know when I have found it
In the distance, fireflies dance
But they are not fireflies, only other lanterns
Lanterns, all searching through the darkness

As I follow my lantern, another approaches from the darkness
Yes, I have seen what he is searching for
Once, maybe twice, but seen, I have before
He too has seen what I search for, once maybe twice
He then passes on, following his lantern through the darkness
I continue to follow my lantern
Searching, and finding nothing

I stop to rest in the darkness
The light from my lantern grows dim
Other lanterns searching in the darkness pass me by
Passing without speaking, passing and searching, and finding nothing
Slowly, my lantern burns away
The darkness that overcomes me is breathtaking
I kneel to the ground and weep

I have traveled a great distance
Searching for something seen by others but unfamiliar to me
Searching and finding nothing

Weeping, I pause and open my eyes
Light surrounds me
For miles I can see without darkness
I stand, to my feet I jump
Silence

Above where I stand, a figure lowers itself
It lowers from an enormous light
From the heavens
Extending a hand as it approaches
I fall to the ground and again I weep
The soft, warm hand touches my shoulder
My weeping stops
The figure embraces me and lifts me to my feet
Slowly, my eyes open.
The figure, the figure is a woman and again she embraces me

I traveled through the darkness
Searching, and now, I found what I was searching for
I found the light
I found the figure
I found the woman, and the woman
She is you
You are my light that takes away all darkness
You are what I have traveled through the darkness for
Searching and now, finally finding
Embrace me as I weep