In The Dark
Winning Entry by cecrouch
In the Dark
For this old cowboy poet, there ain't nothin' worse than bein' in the dark whether it's sufferin' through the darkness of night or shiverin' alone in the darkness of mind. Either one of those can be terrifyin'. But it can also be enlightenin', dependin' on your state of mind and your mood at the time.
Most times, in the darkness of nature's night, there is the moon to stir the mind, to brighten the dark, and to shelter you from the inherited fears and biases of the ages. But there are hazards. That darkness, lighted by the moon, can have awesome, unexpected, and sometimes unwelcome outcomes as in this poem authored not long ago.
Western Moon
The western full moon is magic,
shinin’ up in the sky,
bright’nin’ up the whole universe
as time goes passin’ by.
It’s a mighty pleasant feelin’,
to see it shinin’ down,
like gettin’ a shot of moonshine
when you go into town.
That moon changes the whole landscape,
addin’ its moonlit hue,
makin’ all the shadows deeper
and soft’nin’ colors too.
It makes a cowboy handsomer,
the way he ought to be,
and makes ugly gals good lookin’,
the kind you like to see.
But it can lead you into trouble
with moonlit gals like that
and can quickly move from smoochin’
to things that might begat.
So avoid that moon if you can,
’cause it could change your life
and you might wake up some mornin’
with a real ugly wife.
For this old cowboy poet, there ain't nothin' worse than bein' in the dark whether it's sufferin' through the darkness of night or shiverin' alone in the darkness of mind. Either one of those can be terrifyin'. But it can also be enlightenin', dependin' on your state of mind and your mood at the time.
Most times, in the darkness of nature's night, there is the moon to stir the mind, to brighten the dark, and to shelter you from the inherited fears and biases of the ages. But there are hazards. That darkness, lighted by the moon, can have awesome, unexpected, and sometimes unwelcome outcomes as in this poem authored not long ago.
Western Moon
The western full moon is magic,
shinin’ up in the sky,
bright’nin’ up the whole universe
as time goes passin’ by.
It’s a mighty pleasant feelin’,
to see it shinin’ down,
like gettin’ a shot of moonshine
when you go into town.
That moon changes the whole landscape,
addin’ its moonlit hue,
makin’ all the shadows deeper
and soft’nin’ colors too.
It makes a cowboy handsomer,
the way he ought to be,
and makes ugly gals good lookin’,
the kind you like to see.
But it can lead you into trouble
with moonlit gals like that
and can quickly move from smoochin’
to things that might begat.
So avoid that moon if you can,
’cause it could change your life
and you might wake up some mornin’
with a real ugly wife.
Featured Entry by boobabs1
Tick the box. Another thing off the bucket list. Move along now, no pushing. I smile at them. 'Hey, she ain't got no eyebrows.' Don't be rude. I wanted Leo to get my best side. He forgot the eyebrows, so what? It was dark, back then. The lighting flatters me these days. They think I can't see them, the couple at the back. A quick kiss when the curator isn't looking. Innocent stuff. Not like some of the things I've witnessed. That would raise an eyebrow, if I had one. Still, I've got that smile. Says it all really.
Featured Entry by Martin Willitts Jr
What Is In the Dark?
The absence of light does not mean
the presence of darkness.
Nor is there death
as soon as the lights dim,
unable to breath,
a child afraid of what is not there.
Just because you cannot see the moon,
does not mean it is missing
and we need a search party to find it.
Nightmares are not unpicked roses
wanting to will themselves into luminescence.
There are not fireflies inside our lungs.
Light did not ricochet over the horizon.
We all close the curtains
in the imagined house
where the attic has the boxes
we put away,
each with dark secrets we sooner forget
and we did.
The secrets are laughing at us.
The absence of light does not mean
the presence of darkness.
Nor is there death
as soon as the lights dim,
unable to breath,
a child afraid of what is not there.
Just because you cannot see the moon,
does not mean it is missing
and we need a search party to find it.
Nightmares are not unpicked roses
wanting to will themselves into luminescence.
There are not fireflies inside our lungs.
Light did not ricochet over the horizon.
We all close the curtains
in the imagined house
where the attic has the boxes
we put away,
each with dark secrets we sooner forget
and we did.
The secrets are laughing at us.
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