Sunlight

I search for sunlight

in a world that is rife with shadows

these woods can be unfriendly

to say the least

.

the thorns can sting

the cold can be brutal

the night can bring yellow eyes

that haunt your dreams

.

then, like an old friend

sunlight trickles in through the branches

it dances to the dewy ground

bringing hope to dark places

.

this is still a land of shadows

but I guide some light into an amulet

I clutch it in the moments when I am afraid

in these dark woods, I manage to carve out a home.

.

-AL

I've been thinking a lot about duality. About the coexistence of kindness and brutality. Of gentleness and apathy. Of passionate pursuit for ethical existence that is so often at war with power and greed.

How does one remain kind and gentle in an often unkind world? How does one remain grounded in their values, even if it means standing alone? I often come back to the idea that I want to find, preserve and create light, even if the world can be dark.

I didn't choose this world, nor can I control it. But I can choose the path I take. I think the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. sum this up perfectly: "Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that." Life can be hard, but I think it's important to keep seeking out the light.