By Sam Yau
Despair lingers
in the night,
it is a darkness
with no exit.
I can’t overcome
my lead-heavy chest
to get out of bed.
I draw the curtains tight
against the dark clouds closing in.
I wake up to the late afternoon sun.
I drag myself to the trail
on the ridge facing the Pacific.
Last night’s rain—
transmuted into gorgeous clouds
aflame in gold and red in the sunset.
The long shadows
of the town below.
I wait for the moon to rise,
reflected in the ocean,
whispering in the ebb and flow
of the tide.
The moon descends below the hills,
stars glitter in the black velvet sky,
lightning illuminates distant dark clouds.
The moon will wax
and wane.
The seasons will cycle.
Rest in the unknowing.
Sleep soundly tonight.
Photo by Sam Yau