I Will Wait

I wanted to write

a bright and uplifting poem

about the light of our world,

the solar lantern in the sky, the sun.

~

— to give sombre illumination

in our darkened world —

~

The rough etchings were —

'Light brings

the fight

to the night

and fills

our hearts

with delight

through vitamin D,

through skin,

and melatonin

and serotonin

for our mind.'

~

But when I look at

those simple lines of two or three words,

I feel conflicted.

Does the world really need another poem

about the sun?

Does the world really need another poem

about staring at the sun?

Will it make more people

stare at the sun?

Will it —

more importantly, make more people...

stare at and appreciate the sun?

~

I am not so sure.

~

As we walk towards

the darkest of the days

in the northern hemisphere

I will miss the sun,

as the moon takes its turn — our other faithful companion.

That solar beacon —

its light inevitably diminished

during autumn and winter —

I will wait for it to return to us

with full radiance and brilliance

in spring and summer

~

I will wait

~

because what else can I do —

what else can we do?

We can stand and face the sun,

chase the sun,

or simply wait

hibernate and wait

embrace the bitter,

the fresh

and the cold

of winter

and wait

~

remember Bukowski’s line — "nerves: twitching in the sheets—to face the sunlight again, that's clearly trouble"

the sun and the day bring to light all that’s done in the dark — and we’re better for it.

and it gives us true moments of clarity — "it was like the beginning of life and laughter, it was the real meaning of the sun"

and does this ring true with you — is this your experience of the sun?

"The Sun went down – no Man looked on – / The Earth and I – alone – / Were present at the Majesty –"

~

I will stand and watch the sun go down,

and pay it the respect it deserves.

*

Thanks for reading!

Author's Notes: Something a bit different.

For reference -

"nerves: twitching in the sheets—to face the sunlight again, that's clearly trouble" - Charles Bukowski from Screams From The Balcony found in his Burning In Water, Drowning in Flame collection.

"it was like the beginning of life and laughter, it was the real meaning of the sun" - Charles Bukowski from Factotum.

"The Sun went down – no Man looked on – / The Earth and I – alone – / Were present at the Majesty –" - Emily Dickinson.

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